A Soul of Dust and Eternity
by Redler Red7
Summary: "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality." In her time as a huntress, Homura Akemi experienced much loss - people she loved, lost to the sands of time. But life moved on and so did she. Even with her troubled past following her, she still lives her new life in Atlas to the best of her ability. She only hoped she'd get a happy ending. [AU, Multi POV, World Building]
1. A World of White

**As with most of my stories, I got the idea one night and just _had_ to write it. I still haven't finished Remnant Online, while RWBY: FTL and A Day of Ice Cream, Umbrellas, and Silence have not seen an update in two years. To top it off, I still have two other ongoing stories in other fandoms I'm currently working on. My brain does not have the capacity to write for this many stories. This could possibly be the worst idea I've ever had.**

 **Anyway, I bring to you, dear reader, a story. It is a crossover between Gen Urobuchi's extremely popular 2011 anime, _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_ , and Monty Oum's hit web animation, _RWBY_. I give you: _A Soul of Dust and Eternity_**

 **Enjoy if you can. Else, I apologize.**

* * *

 _"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality.  
_ _Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all,  
_ _infinite in distance and unbound by death."_

* * *

 _ **In a bunker deep in the mountains...**_

Homura Akemi tested the tension on her bowstring. Thankfully, she was able to pull it back completely without the reinforced wire snapping in her hands. That was _one_ reason to be happy. One of very few...

The frigid temperatures of northern Atlas were far from ideal conditions for an archer. Worse still was the blizzard currently rolling over the mountainside, the snow obscuring her vision and the winds limiting the accuracy of her shots. Suffice it to say, of the three huntresses who've been assigned with her, she was the most disadvantaged by the environment.

"Of all the missions to land, it had to be sentry duty in the mountains," Homura sighed tiredly. "I suppose it could be worse. At least I didn't get that scouting mission up further north. Shizuki and Kamijou can be miserable together for all I care."

For all her grumbling, she was at least thankful she was inside an insulated bunker. Sure there were no lights and no heater, but at least she wasn't exposed on some watch tower dying of a thousand icy cuts. Instead, she sat in the relative comfort of a chair, covered in a blanket, watching the snow storm rage outside her window. She even had someone to talk to

Static filled her ears as one of the other huntresses called her. _"Miss Akemi, status report."_ The calm and polite voice on the line could be none other than Mami Tomoe, the one assigned to be their leader for the mission.

Homura looked outside her window and saw only a blur of white and gray. "I have zero visibility," she answered. She glanced at the scanners and it was similarly clear. "Nothing on the screens, either."

 _"Understood. Miss Sakura, how are things on your end?"_

A new voice came on the line, gruff and casual. _"Can't see a damn thing. How long do they plan on keeping us in this blizzard? We'll run outta' aura and freeze to death at this rate!"_ It was Kyouko Sakura, the third and final huntress assigned to their mission.

Homura hummed in agreement. She wasn't one to complain, at least not aloud, but she was glad to know she wasn't the only one unhappy with their accommodations.

 _"Miss Sakura, please bear with it for now. We only have a few hours before another group of hunters arrive and take the next shift."_

 _"But it's just soooo booooring. Can't we at least get some action? I'd die a lot happier if I were fighting a Grimm or something outside. Beats dying of cold and boredom any day."_

Homura imagined the Kyouko jumping out of her bunker, shouting "FIGHT ME" while swinging her chain-spear around. Interestingly, based on what Homura knew of Kyouko, the lancer would actually do that. It made the scene Homura imagined all the more amusing.

 _"Miss Sakura, I beg of you: DO NOT go outside and instigate a fight with creatures of Grimm. I'm the one assigned to lead this mission and to have that happen under my watch would look incredibly bad on my record."_

 _"Ooh, a spot on Little Miss Perfect's permanent record. What a tragedy."_

 _"Miss Sakura, you are acting very immature."_ Mami's voice was stern. It seemed like her patience was starting to thin.

 _"Oh my_ GOD _, stop it with that Miss Sakura crap, it's driving me crazy! Just call me Kyouko."_

 _"Well, excuse me for being formal."_ There was the sound of static as Mami sighed. _"But you don't care about formalities, much do you?"_ she said with an air of acceptance. She may have given up on trying to reign Kyouko in. _"Very well. You may call me Mami if you wish."_

 _"FINALLY. God, you Atlesians are so stuck up. Lighten up a little."_

Homura nodded silently. Hailing from Vale, the archer very much agreed with the sentiment. There was a certain air of self-seriousness whenever she interacted with Atlesian huntsmen and huntresses. She understood that it was merely a natural sense of professionalism, which made sense since Atlas' Hunters were also part of their military. Not that she was one to talk considering how she herself was quite serious and, some would say, aloof and hostile. She didn't necessarily disagree with that description of her...

 _"I have movement,"_ Mami said, her voice gaining an air of urgency. _"Scanners are picking up lifeforms with no aura two hundred feet northwest of my position. Based on their size and number, they're Direwolves."_

Homura scowled. Direwolves were found almost exclusively in northern Atlas. They shared more similarities with actual wolves than Beowolves did, running on all fours and relying on tackles and bites more than their claws. And unlike most other creatures of Grimm, their fur was white as opposed to black, blending with the eternal snow of the north. They made no sound until it was time to attack so the only thing their prey heard before they died was the combined howls of an entire pack.

"They have the advantage in this blizzard. We can't fight them. Tomoe, we need to alert the outer wall of this. They can easily deal with them."

 _"While you're right, keep in mind who has authority here, Miss Akemi."_ Homura rolled her eyes. _Of course_ she'd still point out her higher rank even considering the situation. _"Kyouko, do not engage. That's an order. Understood?"_ They waited for a response that never came. _"Kyouko...? Kyouko Sakura, respond."_

Homura grit her teeth. The lancer must have already left her bunker. With the strength of the blizzard, Kyouko's scroll wouldn't be able to get a signal. There was no way to contact her. Mami must have realized this as well.

 _"Akemi, remain in your bunker and contact the outer wall. I'm sending you the connection protocols you need. I'm going to try and keep Sakura alive."_

"Are you crazy? How do you plan to do that?"

 _"I brought the big guns. It'd be a shame if I didn't use them."_

Homura found herself speechless. With just those words, she was convinced. It was not very hard to figure out why. The famous Tiro Barrage Cannons of Mami Tomoe were said to be able to level an entire city block with just a single salvo. It was for that reason that she wasn't allowed to use them on most missions. With Mami equipped with those weapons of mass destruction, a pack of Direwolves wouldn't stand a chance. Homura's only concern was the possible collateral damage they might sustain - a certain Kyouko Sakura currently en-route to Mami's targets.

"Try not to kill her," Homura quipped. With that, she checked her scroll for the connection protocols and began calling the closest control tower of the outer wall.

 _ **Meanwhile, somewhere in middle of the blizzard...**_

There were many uses for aura, from the healing of wounds to the channeling of power into weapons to allow for greater control and power. However, the primary use for aura was that of a shield, protecting one from danger be it from the claws and fangs of a Grimm or the thermal embrace of a blizzard. For Kyouko Sakura, she took that a step further with her primary semblance, the creation of a physical latticework barrier.

With that semblance, she was able to traverse the chest-deep snow with ease, using her barriers as stepping stones. Within a minute, she could feel the dark presence of creatures of Grimm rapidly approaching her. She slowed to a standstill and dropped to a low stance, brandishing her chain-spear.

Rossio Phantom, her weapon was called. The shaft was a length of rigid metal links measuring six feet with a large triangular blade on one end. When the center link was pressed a certain way, the links would separate, connected loosely by energy chains, controlled through the use of her aura. It was a formidable weapon, and in the skillful hands of Kyouko Sakura, it spelled certain death for anyone for whom it was set loose against.

"Come and get some, you pieces of-"

There was a resounding boom that cut her off. The roaring blizzard winds seemed to halt as a shock wave pushed all the air and snow away. In that brief moment of calm, Kyouko's vision was bathed in the reds and oranges cast by a large plume of burning fire dust rising in the distance, before the blizzard winds returned and plunged her back into a world of white.

Kyouko cackled. "A Bloom of Doom from the famous Tiro Barrage. Finally something interesting!" Bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement, Kyouko ran in the direction of Mami's bunker, another Tiro Barrage landing far behind her as she did so.

Mami's bunker was situated at the top of a large stone outcrop rising out of the snow. Like the one Kyouko stayed in, it was a shallow dome-shaped structure, eight feet high and heavily fortified. It could withstand a constant onslaught of Grimm attacks for well over an hour without signs of damage. As expected, Mami stood at the top of the bunker, two large artillery cannons set up in front of her.

Kyouko crouched low and jumped to Mami's level. "Oi, Mami! Save some for me!"

The blonde gunner turned in surprise. "Kyouko? What are you doing here?"

Kyouko grinned. "Just wanted to see the fireworks." She turned to the direction Mami had her cannons set up. She saw nothing but white. "How do you even see your targets?"

"I don't. I use the radar to figure out where the Grimm are and shoot somewhere in their general vicinity." She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. What are you even doing here!? You're supposed to be in your bunker."

Kyouko shrugged. "I wanted to kill them. Can't let them get away. They get bigger and stronger if we let them live, right?"

Mami massaged her temples. "They were heading in the direction of the outer wall. They would have died anyway!"

Kyouko looked at her confusedly. "If that's true then why the hell were you shooting them?"

"Since you so recklessly left your post and charged headlong into almost certain death, I was trying to kill them before they killed you."

Kyouko waved her off. "Pff, I coulda' taken them."

"Do you even KNOW what a Direwolf is?"

"Basically a Beowolf that always runs on all fours?"

Mami crossed her arms, unamused. "White fur? Makes no noise? Ring any bells?"

Kyouko stared at her blankly. "Uh..."

"I swear, if this is how Vacuo trains their Huntresses, I'm surprised they survived long enough to become a major city."

An ear splitting howl stopped their conversation dead in its tracks as three Direwolves emerged from the white blur of the snow storm. With the two huntresses distracted, the Grimm were easily able to run close the distance and attack.

There was a red flash as Kyouko swung her chain-spear, disconnecting the links and directing the chain with her aura. Before any of the Direwolves even reached them, Rossio Phantom pierced through all of them. Kyouko whistled, impressed. "Wow. They _do_ have white fur."

Mami stared, mouth agape. When Kyouko noticed this, she grinned. "What? I _did_ say I could take them."

Mami nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes you did. Good job."

It took a moment for the two huntresses to notice that the roaring blizzard winds had stopped. When they did, there was a stoic voice that spoke in their ears.

 _"Hmm, looks like the signal's gotten stronger. Can you two hear me?"_

Kyouko laughed. "Ey, Homura!"

Mami pressed her hands against her ears to block Kyouko's voice. "Miss Akemi? What is it?"

 _"Ah, no. I was only testing the communicator. It seems like it's working just fine. By the way, I can see two Direwolves that ran past you. Shall I kill them or will we let the defenses at the outer wall take care of it?"_

Kyouko blinked and turned around, squinting to find the Grimm. She couldn't spot them but Mami seemed to know where they were. "You're free to do as you wish, Miss Akemi. Kill it or not, it doesn't matter."

Following Mami's gaze, Kyouko eventually found the Direwolves. Their white fur made it difficult to see them but their movement gave them away. Still, Kyouko was relatively close to the Grimm while Homura was at least three times as far. How the hell could that Akemi girl even _see_ them from that far away, let alone shoot them?

And yet, as Kyouko tracked the Direwolves' movements, she could clearly see two streaks of purple light strike each of them. They toppled to the ground shortly after, dissolving into white smoke.

"Well, I'll be..." Kyouko breathed.

"Well done, Miss Akemi. You live up to your reputation, I see."

 _"Thank you. I try."_ With that, she hung up.

After she was sure Homura was no longer listening, Kyouko turned to Mami. "Okay, what reputation? I never heard of no Homura Akemi back in Vacuo."

"You may of heard of the nick name she got a while back." Mami smiled. "The _Angel of Death_."

 _ **End of chapter...**_

 **This came at a bad time considering all the things I am writing right now. However, if any one reading this is a creative in any way, you'll know that, once you have that spark, you _have_ to make use of it or else you'll never get around to it. At least that's what I have experienced. **

**But unlike my other crossovers, the character designs actually came first. I though of Homura and what she would look like if she had actual archery gear on while wearing her magical girl uniform. Some minor editing of her outfit and then - _boom_ \- there you go a new character design!**

 **On my profile is a link to the new character designs as well as a larger version of my cover art. I tried to make the characters look similar enough to their originals while giving them that RWBY flair. Refer to that if you want a more detailed look at what these characters look like.**

 **In any case, this is a PMMM/RWBY crossover. Get hyped!?**

 **Like all of my crossovers, this is a more a crossover where characters from one fandom inhabit the world of a different fandom rather than them interacting with the different characters in some weird merged world. Along with that, I adapt of all the skill and abilities of these characters to the world they now inhabit - if they don't have any, I take what their personality and adapt something from them. As of this moment, I have most of the characters' abilities and and weapons thought out and written down. I need only introduce them in the story.**

 **So far, I've told the basics of the three characters in this chapter. Homura is an archer from Vale who earned the title "Angel of Death" for reasons discussed in the very next chapter. Kyouko is a lancer from Vacuo, and her semblance is a the creation of latticework barriers, though unstated in the story, her semblance is also the creation of latticework chains similar to what she did in Rebellion - that'll be talked about later in the story. While Mami is from Atlas, and her Tiro Finale is now a pair of portable artillery cannons. I wasn't able to discuss it in this story but her weapons are armguards that have ribbon spools used in tandem with four shotgun batons.**

 **If you have questions, suggestions, or violent reactions, feel free to leave a review. I appreciate any feedback I might get.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this and I'll see you in the next chapter.**

 _ **EDIT: 2018-02-08: AND NOW FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE**_

 **I want to clarify some things about this fic.**

 **Firstly, the characters and settings borrowed from RWBY are not the same as they are in canon. The events of the show proper will never happen in the universe of this story, all places shown in this story aside from Beacon and Vale are products of myself as the writer, and any characters from canon that appear in this story will have a different backstory, if only slightly. The magical girls of Madoka Magica will never interact with team RWBY. The history and lore revealed in Volumes 4 and onward of RWBY will deliberately be ignored.**

 **Secondly, this story originally presented itself as a plot driven drama focusing on Homura's struggles and the tragedy that has and will befall her. Those who have read this story will know that this is not the main appeal. It is more of an exploration of life as a huntress for Homura and the people around her - kind of like a slice of life about someone who happens to fight monsters for a living. The summary description for this story has been updated to tell readers that fact.**

 **I beg of you all: Please do not go into this story with misconceptions. I don't want to disappoint people.**


	2. Serendipity

**So, just so everyone's aware, over 8 chapters of this fic have been written well before the release of Volume 4. That being said, there might be inconsistencies in world building - especially when it comes to Atlas as majority of this fic occurs within that country.**

 **In any case, here is chapter 2. Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize.**

 ** _That evening, on a dropship en-route to Atlas..._**

Even after several hours of letting it sink in, Kyouko still couldn't get over what Mami told her: That Homura Akemi was the infamous _Angel of Death_.

Known to be the sole survivor of a team that successfully defended a village from an attacking Goliath, it was said that the Angel of Death inexplicably gained the ability to materialize angel wings on her back which was one of the reasons she gained the name. The other reason for the name was what she did after. She continued doing her job as a huntress but every mission she took were kill missions. Search and Destroy, Extermination, Assassination - every single mission she completed nigh perfectly and all on her own. Even with missions where she was forced to work with other huntsmen and huntresses, they always talked about how ruthless she was. The cold, calculated precision of every kill was down right terrifying - like a machine whose sole purpose was to destroy. Simply put, she never spoke, never flinched, and never _ever_ missed.

That was Homura Akemi? Homura Akemi, the stoic bookworm who only only spoke to make a quip and was almost never in the mood to fight - _she_ was the Angel of Death? It had to be a joke. Some sort of prank. Everything about Kyouko's excruciatingly long two days of working with the archer did nothing to change those less than idea first impressions. It just couldn't be.

But then Kyouko thought back to the Direwolves Homura dispatched. They weren't that far away from where Kyouko was standing and if Homura was standing right next to her when she made the shot then there'd be nothing to talk about. But no, Homura had to be well over a mile away. Even people with sniper rifles had trouble shooting targets that far away. Homura had been using a bow - _a bow_ \- and managed to hit a moving target from that distance. Yes, dust-based arrows were the likely reason for the increase in effective range but that was the extent of dust's ability to enhance an archer's shooting. That accuracy couldn't be faked. Homura was the real deal.

 _Which is why she was complaining so much about visibility,_ Kyouko realized. _If she could see it, she could kill it. The blizzard just kept her from seeing..._

She sighed. Alright, I'm convinced. Homura Akemi is the Angel of Death...

My only question now is... why is she here with us...?

 ** _Many years ago, on the cliffs behind Beacon Academy..._**

"This sea of green you see below is the Emerald Forest - a vast expanse of untamed nature. It is here we will determine whether you are qualified to attend this school. It is here you will show us what you are capable of. Should you survive, you will be welcomed back as students of this school."

A man in dark green, holding a coffee mug in one hand and a cane in the other, stood with his back to a sheer drop. In front of him was a colorful group of individuals, all teenagers and young adults armed with various kinds of weapons. The man was Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon, and those before him were his prospective students. He was explaining the particular details of the initiation to them. It was simple, really. Find a relic deep inside the forest and bring it back.

"Now, as for the formation of teams, traditionally, students will form teams of four. Unfortunately, due to extenuating circumstances, three of our prospective students were not able to arrive today. As a result, our total number is not perfectly divisible by four. Two teams will have to make do with three and two members respectively. Any questions?"

There was one hand raised from a girl with long black hair in twin braids and glasses, wearing what seemed to be a school uniform. "Um... uh... How will we know which teams we'll be assigned to?"

"Hmm, I suppose I didn't explain that," Ozpin muttered. "The platforms you are standing on are launch pads that will fling you into the forest at high speed. Once you land, the first person you make direct eye contact with will be your partner for the rest of your stay here. Once all the partners have paired up, I shall group them together to form their teams based on their chemistry and ability shown out in the field. Due to our odd numbering, the sorry soul who failed to find a partner will have to survive on their own until they find a pair who wishes to help them."

There was another raised hand, still from the same girl. "I... uh... about the launch pads... how are we going to land?"

An odd smile appeared on Ozpin's face. "That is an excellent question. You must figure it out. No landing strategy will be provided for you."

"Uh... oh... okay..."

"Of there are no more questions, then we shall begin. I wish you all the best of luck." Ozpin turn towards the forest and watched the students launch one by one. "Oh right. By the way..." After remembering something, he turned back towards the students. "The forest is filled with creatures of Grimm. Please try not to die."

The girl asking questions went wide eyed. "Wha-" She was launched into the air before she even finished one word. Ozpin watched the girl flail around trying to pull something out of a circular device on her arm, in hilarious contrast to the others who were far more graceful and coordinated in executing their landing strategies. "I hope she survives. This school year will be a tad less interesting otherwise." With a chuckle, he took a sip of her coffee.

 ** _Present day, Atlas shuttle bay..._**

"Mami!"

Mami sighed. Almost immediately after she disembarked, already she was being called on by her students. She tried to recall the voice in an attempt guess who it was before she made eye contact. The voice was female, yet boyish, and spoke somewhat nasally. _Could it be... Miss Miki?_ Sure enough, when Mami looked in the direction of the voice, she saw a head of blue bobbing up and down the crowd. With wasn't long before Sayaka Miki elbowed her way into her vision.

Mami smiled. "Good evening, Miss Miki. I take it you're doing well?"

Sayaka smiled back. "Evening, Mami. Yeah I'm good. How was your mission?" She looked around. "Hey, uh, didn't you say your mission was with two other huntresses?"

"The mission went alright. There were minor complications but it was relatively uneventful. As for my team..." Mami looked towards the dropship.

Homura was currently walking out, her heavy coat folded neatly over her arm while her other held the book she was reading. Kyouko was right behind her, walking at a relaxed pace with her coat over her shoulder and her hands in her pockets. She looked to be eating something.

"I'd say they're doing fine," was what Mami concluded after a moment of watching them. "Now Miss Miki, let me ask you a question. You just got back from a stressful mission and this is supposed to be your day off. What are you doing in a military hangar of all places?"

Sayaka smiled sadly, scratching her cheek. "Eh. Just waiting for my team," she answered.

"Mr Kamijou and Miss Shizuki?"

Sayaka nodded. "They went on a mission up further north from you guys. With the blizzard and reports of Direwolves, you can guess that I'm worried."

Mami frowned. "I see..."

"No no, you don't need to be sad for me. I'm sure they'll be fine. You're probably tired from your mission. I won't bother you anymore."

"Ah, wait..." Mami's frown deepened as she watched Sayaka run off, disappearing into the crowd.

Catching Mami unaware, Kyouko put a hand on her shoulder. "Ey, cheer up Mami. Miki's a tough cookie. There's nothing to worry about."

With a raised eyebrow, Mami gave Kyouko a sideways look. "I'm sorry, you know her?"

Kyouko grinned. "Yeah. She's an exchange student who went to Vacuo, right? You know how hunters-in-training have missions where they follow a hunter around? I was the Huntress they followed."

"I do recall her speaking of someone like you - something about a mission with a rude but resourceful huntress from Shade."

Kyouko smirked. "Oh, she told you about me? I'm touched! Brings a tear to my eyes!"

"Please, Kyouko. Control yourself." Mami glanced around. "Where's Miss Akemi?"

"Homura?" Kyouko shrugged. "I don't know, heading home? She said something about a warm bed, a warm bath, and a warm meal, not necessarily in that order."

"Hmm. She had the right idea. I could use a little warmth after that mission."

Kyouko leaned in close. "How 'bout _I_ give you a little bit of warmth? If you know what I - OW" She jumped back, holding her chin. "Hey, what gives!?"

Mami giggled, lowering her first. "As... _tempting_... as that offer is, I must decline," she said. "I'm tired and would like a good night's rest." She began to move to leave but turned back and smiled. "By the way, next time you try that, you should at least ask me out to dinner first."

Kyouko stared at her for a moment before laughing. "I like your style lady! I might just take you up on that offer."

Mami shook her head slowly, her smile still on her face. "Good night Kyouko" With that, she walked away.

 ** _Many years ago, above the Emerald Forest..._**

Homura Akemi was vaguely aware of her altitude as well as where she was relative to the other students. Of course, with her tumbling through the air, all of those details were caught in a maelstrom of other sensations that didn't really matter. She tried to tune all of it out while she tried to work her Tempest Hourglass.

She wouldn't exactly call her weapon as a _weapon_ strictly speaking. The way she'd describe it would be a shield-bag, if that made any sense. The way it worked didn't necessarily make sense, not even to Homura, as its functions involved breaking, or at the very least _bending_ some of the laws of physics. It was large metal disk the size of a dinner plate strapped to her arm. With the combined power of her semblance and two chambers within the disk filled with a special mixture of dust powder, she was able to make minor distortions in space and time. These included increasing or decreasing her speed using time dilation and storing large objects that couldn't possibly fit in her shield compartments.

The first thing she did was slow her descent by half. She was under the impression that it would buy her some time to dig through her stuff. Due to the nature of her time dilation, she'd still receive the effects of a full speed impact should she make contact with the ground or any similar obstacle. Similarly, while she may have been moving slower in comparison to the rest of the world, to her, she was still moving at full speed and it did not actually buy her any time at all. Oh well…

 _Landing strategy... landing strategy... Think of a landing strategy. Come on, Homura. THINK._

She was keenly aware of everything she had stored into Tempest Hourglass: thirty two dust bombs, sixteen flash grenades, a semi-automatic pistol and pump-action shotgun with unspecified amounts of ammo, half a gallon's worth of bottled water, a day's worth of rations, a folding umbrella, a raincoat, a change of clothes, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, and a reinforced golf club in case she wanted to hit something really hard. As it was, the only item she had that seemed plausible was the umbrella, and even then it still seemed like a bad idea.

 _Might as well try..._

She pulled out the umbrella and opened it, aware that, if it really worked, the umbrella may very well be pulled out of her hands if she wasn't holding on tight enough and may also violently pull her arms off even if she was. Either way she was liking her idea less and less.

...

After a pause, she confirmed that her umbrella plan did not work and now she needed a new umbrella as her current one now had several broken hinges. Not that she'd survive long enough to buy one, though. The moment she collided with the ground, her aura shield would shatter and she'd break every bone in her body. If that didn't kill her then a bunch of Grimm devour her would soon after.

 _No use wasting energy,_ she thought in despair. She deactivated her time dilation and resolved herself to death.

"Gotcha!"

Much to Homura's surprise, she wasn't a blood splat and corpse on the ground yet. Instead, she found herself in the arms of a girl in a frilly pink outfit. Even more surprising, they were making a slow and shallow glide to the ground - the girl in pink had angel wings.

"W-wings?"

The girl in pink giggled. "I'm Madoka Kaname. The wings are part of my semblance."

Homura could only stare in awe. "H-Homura," she managed. "Homura Akemi."

Madoka smiled. "Nice to meet you, Homura."

Once they reached the ground, Madoka dismissed her wings and slowly lowered Homura to her feet. Homura's legs were shaking but she didn't fall.

"I'm sorry I didn't say this first but thanks."

"No problem. You look like you needed help. Besides, what are partners for?"

Homura blinked. "P-partners?" Ozpin's words echoed in her mind. _The first person you make direct eye contact with will be your partner for the rest of your stay here_. "Huh. I guess we are..." she thought in disbelief.

Madoka unfolded the bow strapped to her belt and slung it over her shoulder. With a determined smile, she started walking, gesturing for Homura to follow. "Come on. Let's go find that relic!"

 ** _End of chapter..._**

 **If you are, in any way, familiar with Madoka Magica, you'll know that Madoka Kaname is not around anymore at present. That said, there'll be plenty of flashbacks in this story. Keep in mind that not all of them will be about Moemura and her daily life with Madoka before she inevitably bites the bullet, so to speak.**

 **In any case, that was my attempt at explaining how Homura's time shield worked in this universe.**

 **Due to the limitations of aura, semblance, and dust, I couldn't exactly do it the way the anime does. That is to say, Tempest Hourglass is no longer a literal hour glass that controls time and the shield is no longer a mechanism that merely tips the hourglass to its side to stop time. The differences of puella magi powers that can overcome entropy to dust and semblance which are slightly less prone to breaking the laws of physics prevent that mechanic from working.**

 **However, the rules of RWBY's universe are not yet fully realized as of this writing so I was able to find some loopholes. While past timeline Homura can only move at double speed at maximum, present timeline Homura could probably reach something close to full time stop speed. The full extent of her time powers will be explored in later chapters.**

 **As a fun little worldbuilding tid-bit, I've also explained what would happen if students in the major combat schools don't have a number of students divisible by four. It'd also explain why most of the characters in this story have teams with less than four members, like Sayaka, Hitomi, and Kyousuke. Also, Sayaka's team is SShK, pronounced** _ **shock**_ **(alternatives were KaSH, SaKS and SKaM, none of which sounded appropriate) and Madoka's team is MaHo, pronounced mahou (think mahou shoujou).**

 **Anyway, that was the second chapter. Expect more soon as I've finished a number of chapters already. Leave a review if you have questions, suggestions, or violent reactions. Any feedback would be appreciated. Until next chapter!**


	3. Symbol of Power

**I'm happy people are reading. This chapter is a few days late so I apologize. Anyway, new chapter. Enjoy if you can.**

 **Late morning, in the Atlas Training Arena B…**

Mami watched with no small amount of interest the daily work-out session of one Kyouko Sakura. She had been passing through when she noticed the distinct wild ponytail of red that could only have been Kyouko's. Feeling mildly curious, Mami took a seat on the bleachers and watched.

Kyouko stood in the center of the arena, wearing only a training bra and cycling shorts, with a green jacket tied around her waist. She was most likely at the tail-end of her work-out as she had her weapon on her, Rossio Phantom. The animatronic ragdoll which served as the training dummy stood some distance away.

Without any warning, Kyouko closed the distance between herself and the dummy, opening with a straight kick to the chest, immediately followed by a latticework barrier behind the dummy, preventing it from flying too far away.

The lancer nodded at the red blinking light on the dummy's chest, satisfied with her opening.

She then began a series of complicated twirling motions with her spear, landing a number of hits with both the sharp and the blunt ends of her weapon, finishing with a low sweep that knocked the dummy onto its back.

Kyouko tilted her head at the dummy as it stood back up, as if wondering if she did a good enough job with her string of attacks.

There was a flash of red as shaft of Rossio Phantom split into a chain, the links separating explosively. There was a brief moment where chain merely floated in the air. Then Kyouko moved.

The chain was like lightning, violently whipping back and forth even as Kyouko herself circled and jumped over and around her target. The dummy soon found itself battered every which way in a wild maelstrom of aura and steel. It began beeping a high pitched warning sound before completely falling apart, its pieces scattering all around the arena.

Kyouko wiped the sweat off her brow, clearly unhappy with the turn of events.

It was in that moment that Mami decided to jump into the arena and greet the lancer good morning. Said lancer simply looked at her and smirked.

"Enjoy the show?" Kyouko asked, taking a swig from her water bottle.

"You showed quite a bit of skill." Mami glanced at the dismembered robotic arm at her feet. "Though the training dummy is hardly a worthy opponent…" She gave the arm a light kick towards Kyouko.

The lancer chuckled. "Yeah, I can agree with that."

Mami gestured towards Rossio Phantom, currently embedded into the remains of the dummy's chest. "May I?" she asked. Kyouko nodded in reply.

Pulling the spear out of the dummy, Mami examined the weapon. "Hmm… It's lighter than I expected, but still quite heavy. And it seems like the links are about to burst in my hands…" With a certain twist of the middle link, the six foot spear shaft unexpectedly broke apart into a twelve foot length of chain. "Case in point…"

Mami stared at the weapon curiously, waving it around in its chain form. "I wonder…"

Feeling experimental, she began small twirling motions and attempted some tricks. The chain obeyed her every command, weaving around her, becoming straight, and curving certain ways. When she finished, the chain lay in a neat circle around her.

"Rossio Phantom is a nice weapon," Mami concluded. "It doesn't quite reach my preference for flexibility but I can see why you use her. She's quite the energetic one."

Kyouko gave Mami a short whistle, looking impressed. "Wow, Mami. You're a natural. It took me at least a year to be able to work that thing even half as well as you're doing."

"I may have an unfair advantage in that regard," Mami said, reconnecting the links and handing Rossio Phantom back to Kyouko. "You see, my semblance is of a very specific kind. I specialize in the manipulation of ribbons. I channel my aura through them and it allows me a level control that cannot be matched by anyone. It doesn't necessarily have to be ribbons either - it can be chains, rope, wires, really anything long and flexible."

Kyouko gave her a sly look. "Even-"

"Yes, even _that_. I've been able to use it once, and it was with a student who thought it necessary to call my breasts _Mami's Mammies_. No, he did not say that to my face - if he did, he'd have experienced far worse."

Kyouko raised an eyebrow. "So boobs are a… ah… _touchy subject_ , eh?" Mami angled her head towards Kyouko, a scowl of disapproval on her face. This earned another chuckled from the lancer.

"You know, it even works of people's backs," Mami said threateningly. "I could, say, twist a vertebra here and there and permanently incapacitate you."

"That sounds kinda dark for you, don't you think?"

Mami sighed, disappointed that her bluff was called. "Yes. I suppose it is…"

There was a brief lull in the conversation.

"You know," Kyouko began. "I was just about to do my cool-down stretches. If you're up to it, let's-"

"You don't happen to be asking me out to lunch, are you?"

Kyouko stared for a moment before grinning. "I was going to say _let's go spy on Homura_ , but if you're offering…"

Mami smiled wryly. "I was a little bit assuming there, wasn't I? What's this about spying on Miss Akemi?"

"She's all aloof and secretive, right? Aren't you at least a little bit curious?"

Mami crossed her arms. "I won't deny that I'm curious, but I will not spy on Homura Akemi. For one, it's rude, for another, it's pretty much impossible to spy on a powerful huntress if your area of specialization is not stealth and espionage."

"C'mon, Mami. Don't be a stick in the mud!"

Mami debated whether to humor the lancer. It was cute and more than a little amusing seeing her act all whiny and childish. She could resist a little bit, and force out a little bit more of that cute, right? _No, that would be mean._

"Very well. I saw Homura in the shooting range. We'll go to her. We'll try to hide while we watch her. But we _will_ get caught."

 _At least I'll be able to tell her 'I told you so' when we get caught… Wow. Now that I think about it, that sounds really petty._

"Awesome!" Kyouko cheered. "Wait for me outside, I still need to do my stretches and take a shower."

"Just don't take too long. You're still taking me out to lunch"

 **Many years ago, Beacon Academy Shooting Range…**

Homura was surprised to find Madoka in the shooting range. As always, she was using her bow, but instead of her usual dust-based arrows she was instead using standard arrows provided by the shooting range.

Unfortunately, the combination of the constant sound of gunfire from the other students and the sound canceling earmuffs they were wearing prevented conversation. Instead, Homura took the place right next to the archer and pulled out a submachine gun, a bolt-action sniper rifle, and a semi-automatic shotgun out of a large gun bag she was carrying, laying them all on the table behind next to her. She then pulled out the magnum semi-automatic pistol she had always been using from her Tempest Hourglass and aimed down the range.

What followed after sort of blurred together as she immersed herself in the recoil, rate of fire, and many other aspects of the various weapons she tested out. By the time she was finished with all of them, her shoulders were sore and shaking.

With a sigh, she returned all of her new toys in the gun bag and her one old toy back into her shield. She glanced at her side and found that Madoka was already gone. Homura frowned for a moment and then shrugged, moving to closest door out of the range.

To her surprise, Madoka was sitting quietly at a table outside the range, near a vending machine. When they locked eyes, Madoka waved hello, gesturing for Homura to join her. When she did, the archer pushed a can of iced coffee into her hands.

"It looked like you were really into it. I didn't wanna bother you," Madoka said. "Besides, it was too loud. I don't think we'd be able to talk much in there."

Homura smiled. "Yes, I sorta figured that out as well." She noticed that Madoka had a half finished can of iced tea in her hands - honey lemon flavor. Taking note of Madoka's preference, Homura opened her can and took a sip.

"Why'd you have all those guns, anyway?"

"I wanted to expand my arsenal, so I bought them," Homura explained. "I still need to find a new pistol, though. The kickback of the one I have now is a little too strong but I haven't found anything else that felt right."

"Isn't keeping four different kinds of weapons kinda… er…"

"Expensive?" Homura suggested with a slight wince. "Yeah. Normal bullets are pretty cheap but I always need to buy them in bulk so it costs me a pretty penny every time I need to resupply."

"Well, yeah, there's that, but isn't it also really time consuming? You'd need to do maintenance on all of your guns on top of needing to maintain Tempest Hourglass. I'm for one just glad Rose Rain just needs oil for her hinges and a change of bowstring every now and then. Anything more than that and I might mess something up."

Homura nodded in agreement.

The _Rose Rain_ which Madoka was referring to was her foldable compound bow. It was a relatively simple and elegantly designed weapon, a kind of weapon overshadowed by the more popular and conventional modern firearms that Homura used. With the low number of moving parts, Rose Rain was definitely much more convenient to maintain compared to, say, Tempest Hourglass, whose components and design was comparable to that of an entire jet plane in terms of complexity. And what with Madoka's sporadic fits of clumsiness, it was a good thing that her weapon was simple and sturdy.

"Also, isn't using weapons that aren't yours sort of… inefficient? Like, back in my days at Signal, I used all kinds of weapons. None of them really felt right to me. The closest thing I had was a bow, and even then I was never really satisfied with them until I made Rose Rain. Give me any other bow and I'd be able to use it but I'll never be as good. Isn't it the same with you?"

Homura scratched her head nervously, unsure of how Madoka would react to her answer. She took a deep breath and spoke. "Not really."

Madoka blinked. "Eh?"

Homura smiled, shaking her head. She then laid her shield on the table. " _Tempest Hourglass_ is my weapon, Madoka. Based on how you've seen me use it, can you take a guess at what kind of weapon I'm good at using?"

Madoka thought for a bit. "You use it to store your weapons. I've seen you fight bunch of different guns, bombs, and a golf club," she muttered. "I don't really see any correlation," was her conclusion.

Homura's smile persisted. "Precisely. All of the weapons I have? I've mastered none of them. That is because there is no weapon I can truly master. I can reach only a competent level of skill."

"But that _can't_ be right. I've seen you clip the wing tips off a Nevermore mid-swoop with a pistol. That's more than just competent."

"Well then, let me rephrase it, though it'll sound quite arrogant." Homura leaned forward, interlocking her fingers in front of her face to hide her smile. "I am proficient with all weapons and I can master any of them."

Madoka leaned forward as well. "That sounds really cool," she breathed. "But I don't really believe you, though…"

Homura smiled wryly, looking away. It wasn't an unexpected answer but it was still a blow to her pride. Still, it was somewhat adorable how brutally honest Madoka was.

"What? It just sounds really far-fetched. Come on Homura, don't be upset, pleeeaaase~"

 ** _Present day, outside Atlas Shooting Range A…_**

Kyouko and Mami sat on the benches outside the shooting range, watching Homura through the reinforced glass separating the range from the hallway. Strangely enough, Homura wasn't using her bow but was instead shooting with generic fire-arms - high quality generic fire arms from the looks of it, but generic all the same.

"You ever notice how she has two emblems?" Kyouko asked.

"What?"

"Homura. She has two emblems. One is a black silhouette of the weird disk thing she always carries around and the other is a bow with rose notched instead of an arrow."

"Hmm…"

Mami didn't seem to notice of even care. Kyouko, however, saw it as something significant. An emblem was supposed to be a calling card - a representation of who that hunter was. Sure, not everyone used emblems that way, but the fact that Homura wore two had to have some meaning behind it. Was it the emblem of someone important to her? Was it entrusted to her? Does she wear it as a reminder of what was lost? All very likely reasons but there was no way for Kyouko to be certain.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is yours?" Mami asked. "I never really payed attention to emblems but you mentioning them has me wondering."

Kyouko grinned and undid her pony tail. She handed Mami a small key-shaped object with a red gem in the center. She then pointed on the left hand side of her jacket - it was a picture of the very same key.

Mami stared at the pin for a moment before giggling. "You know, this may be a coincidence, but you're not the only one who has a hair ornament that's also their emblem." She angled her head so that Kyouko had a better view of the hair pin she was wearing. It was tight spiral of metal bent into a flower shape with a golden gem in the center. "If I recall, Miss Miki has a hairclip with her emblem on it as well."

Kyouko looked at the hairclip, impressed with how finely crafted it was. "You made this, didn't you?"

Mami blinked. "Why… yes, I did make it. It was a simple matter of weaving lengths of wire around and bending them into the shape I wanted."

Kyouko smiled. "Looks good on you," she complimented.

"Yes. I'm quite proud of them."

As there was a lull in their conversation, Kyouko glanced back to Homura… who was no longer in the shooting ranged. The lancer jumped out of her seat in surprise when she saw Homura standing across the hall from them. "Ah! Whendidyougetthere!?"

Homura shifted her weight. "I saw you two talking back there and thought I'd jump in. Something about emblems? Anyway, what bring you here? Sakura, you use a melee weapon, and Tomoe, you don't necessarily use your guns to shoot targets. Obviously neither of you are here to practice shooting."

"Kyouko was taking me out to lunch," Mami explained. "We just happened to pass by and saw you. We decided to watch for a little."

"Wait, Mami doesn't use her guns to shoot?" Kyouko said, not really paying attention to Mami's explanation. Mami elbowed her sides. "Ow. Yeah. We're going out to eat." Kyouko returned the elbow with equal force. "And since Mami was the one offering, she's the one paying."

The exchange of elbows did not go unnoticed by Homura. The archer raised an eyebrow, looking unconvinced.

"Seriously, though, you don't use your guns to shoot? How does that make sense?"

Homura shrugged. "Well, since I see you'll be busy, I'll be off now." She began walking away, giving them a lazy salute goodbye.

The two turned to each other. "I told you so," Mami said. Kyouko could only roll her eyes in response. "And since you so selfishly decided I'll be paying, you better not complain about what I treat you to."

To that, Kyouko laughed. "Please. I would never _ever_ turn down free food."

 ** _Meanwhile, at the Atlas Shuttle Bay…_**

Sayaka's heart sank when she saw the flashing emergency lights on the approaching dropship. _Please. Not them. Don't let it be them…_

There was a crowd forming around the ship that Sayaka had to push past. Eventually she got to the front of was wall of people and ran up to one of the security guards. She held up her scroll, showing her ID. "Sayaka Miki, licensed huntress and trained healer. Is there anything I can help with?"

The guard jerked his thumb towards the ship. "Get in. They've got two wounded, one of them critical. He might not make it to the infirmary."

Sayaka nodded and ran for the door. _Two wounded, one critical,_ she repeated in her mind. _And the one critical is a 'he'…_

She entered the dropship and was met with a terrible sight. Just as she feared, it was her teammates. Hitomi Shizuki sat at one side, her fingers purple from frostbite and blood dripping from her right leg. On the floor surrounded by medics was Kyousuke Kamijou, lying on the floor looking battered and bruised. He was covered with bandages but there was a line of red all along his entire right arm, starting from his wrist all the way to just above the shoulder, nearing his neck.

Sayaka rushed to Kyousuke's side. She turned to the medics. "How is he?"

"We have sewn the wound closed but he still lost too much blood," the medic replied. "We aren't healers so this is the best we can do. And his aura is completely depleted so he can't heal himself."

Sayaka grit her teeth as she removed the bandages and looked over the wound. Even after being sewn up, it was still bleeding a little.

As a new graduate, she was well aware of how weak she was compared to more experienced healers. They just had more stamina to use their auras to heal the wounds of others. But when it came to something as severe as this, she was far more capable. She specialized in things such as blood loss, severed body parts, headaches, and other things that aura couldn't normally heal. Sure, this was the first time she was healing something quite like this, but since it was her teammate's life on the line, she had to do _something_.

"Ready me some food and water," she ordered, hovering her hand over the gash. She'd use up most of her aura trying to supply her healing semblance. By the time she'd finish, she'd be exhausted.

Not wasting any more time, she summoned the power deep within her and began healing the wound closed. _Please, Kyousuke. Don't you dare die on me!_

 ** _End of chapter…_**

 **While I am a fan of KyouMami, this is not a ship fic. If the fact that they are flirting is upsetting to you in any way, keep in mind that the focus of this fic is not the romance. If you cannot look past the ship and enjoy what you actually like about this fic then perhaps you should read something else.**

 **Mami's semblance is ribbons, as is her powers in the anime. Well, sort of. Her powers are the creation and manipulation of ribbons, with additional powers to transform her ribbons into various objects - mostly firearms. In this fic, it is merely the manipulation of ribbons and ribbon-like materials. She can no longer materialize ribbons out of thin air - and by proxy materialize weapons. It is a very substantial nerf, I understand, but it was necessary if I wanted to balance her with the other characters in this fic (Mami is legit the most powerful and most skilled out of all the puella magi from the anime)**

 **The joke that Mami used her semblance on someone's penis is just that - a joke. A person's aura would probably prevent another person's semblance from doing harm to them so Mami's threats are more empty than Kyouko realized. Of course, if it were used on a person with sufficiently depleted aura, a person who did not unlock their aura, or on a creature of Grimm, it'd probably work.**

 **Emblems have always been pretty interesting to me. Ruby's is a rose like her last name which she shares with her mother, while Weiss and Winter is their family crest which is also apparently their company's logo. What these characters use as an emblem says something about them, be it superficially or symbolically.**

 **Homura, of course, wears both her own and Madoka's emblems. I don't think I need to explain what that symbolizes.**

 **If anyone has something to say, go ahead and say it in a review or PM. I make it a point to read all feedback and any indication that people are reading is much appreciated. Until next chapter, then.**


	4. Words Left Unsaid

**I'm glad that at least a few people are reviewing. It's nice to know people have an opinion about my work.**

 **Before I begin this chapter, let me reiterate that eight chapters have been written before the release of RWBY volume 4 and I have not watched anything past episode 1. Please keep that in mind when any inconsistencies arise between the world building of this story and the world building in canon.**

 **Now that I said that, here is chapter 4. Enjoy if you can - if not I apologize.**

 _ **Evening, Atlas Hospital Ward…**_

When Sayaka came to, she was lying in bed with the familiar smell of sterilized air assaulting her nose. She was well aware of where she was. The only question was _why_?

Right then, the memory hit her. "Kyousuke!" she said, sitting up.

"He survived," a woman said, calming her down somewhat.

Sayaka blinked and turned to the woman sitting quietly next to her bed while reading a book. She had long black hair and wore a black and white dress. The only color visible on her was the deep purple of her stoic eyes and the bright red of the ribbon in her hair and the thick-rimmed glasses on her face. She seemed so familiar…

The woman looked up from her book. "The Kamijou boy - he survived," she repeated.

Sayaka slowly sank back into her bed, a sudden urge to laugh welling up inside her. She soon did so, relief washing over her. "Oh man, that has got to be the most stressed I have ever been. Not even a Grimm attack could do that to me."

"You saved his life. Thanks to your help, he was able to recover most of the blood he lost." The woman returned her attention to her book. "You, on the other hand used up most of your aura trying to keep him alive. You have not recovered yet."

With a frown, Sayaka nodded. Sure, trying to recover her aura would be a pain but a day or two confined to a hospital bed is a small price to pay for saving a life.

"Say, lady," Sayaka began. "Not to sound too rude, but who are you? You don't look like a nurse and I don't _think_ I know you."

The woman turned a page on her book. "We've met fairly recently. Don't you remember?"

Sayaka thought back to the previous week. First, she received a special mission to aid in relief efforts at a small village recently taken over by the White Fang which was then summarily attacked by Grimm due to the chaos and confusion caused by the hostile takeover - not the most well thought out coup. She was one of the medics tending to the wounded. Then, when she returned to Atlas, she ran into one of her old teachers, Mami Tomoe, who had been assigned with two others to sentry duty for two days. The other two huntresses she was with were that obnoxious lancer lady she met that one time in Vacuo and an archer lady from Vale.

Sayaka went wide eyed. "You're that archer lady who had that mission with Mami! You talked with me and my teammates at the shuttle bay before you made your departure!" Then she smiled wryly. "I still don't remember your name, though."

"Don't be sad about that," the woman in black said, "because I never gave it. I'd be much more concerned if you _did_ know my name." With an odd smile, the woman turned to Sayaka. "I am Homura Akemi. You may call me Homura."

 _ **A few hours ago, Atlas Shopping District…**_

"You know, went you said 'lunch', I expected something a little more… filling…"

"I'm sorry, was that a complaint just now?"

Mami had brought them to a cafe that served tea and cake near the western edge of the shopping district. It had a weird name: _Tea and Cake (or Death)_. Much to Kyouko's disappointment, none of the food would satisfy her - not unless she ate a lot. Then again, she wasn't the one paying so it might not be that bad.

Kyouko took a look at the menu and frowned, unsure whether to be annoyed or impressed. "I don't know what half these items say but all the pictures look delicious."

"I've tried everything and I'm telling you right now, they _are_ all delicious."

Kyouko involuntarily made a high pitched whine. "Maaaamiiii~! You're not making it any easier to choose!"

As amusing Kyouko's indecision was to Mami, eventually the lancer was able to make her order. It was a relatively simple one to read and one that Mami actually recommended she try first. That is to say, she ordered a slice of cheesecake.

"You know, dessert normally comes _after_ lunch and dinner."

Mami giggled. "I am aware. There's nothing wrong with a little indulgence now and then."

Kyouko gave her a sly smile. " _'Now and then'_ must be pretty often considering you've tried everything on the menu."

"Let's not read too deep into things, shall we?"

There weren't that many people in the cafe so their orders arrived fairly quickly. Unfortunately Kyouko finished eating in a quarter of that time and had to place another order.

"I may regret bringing you here," Mami admitted after witnessing Kyouko devour a large slice of cheesecake in less than five minutes.

Kyouko chuckled. "You know, when I said I wanted something more filling, it was as much for your benefit as it was for mine."

"I'll keep that in mind next time…"

Thus, Kyouko was left waiting, watching Mami eat. She seemed to savor every bite as if it were the most delicious food she had ever eaten. Kyouko concluded that Mami must have a sweet tooth for cake, and possibly pastries considering what else was on the menu.

Kyouko recalled a topic they were discussing earlier. "So, you don't use your guns to shoot?"

Mami shook her head. "What Homura said is, while not incorrect, a little inaccurate." She sighed. "It's not that I don't shoot targets with them but rather they are not my weapon of choice."

Kyouko leaned forward on the table, propping her head up with her elbows.

"As you know, my semblance allows me to control ribbons. Thus, it only makes sense that my weapons also take advantage of that." Mami pulled her sleeves back and showed two arm guards, each with two rolls of ribbons encased inside. "Seamstress and Tailor," she said, two strips of dust-woven metal extending out of her wrist. "I have four shotgun-batons I use in conjunction with them. I tend to use ammunition that have a large spread so accuracy is less of a concern of mine. Besides, there's a limit to how accurate they can be at long range, even with shots that have low spread."

Kyouko nodded slowly. "That's cool… Hey, uh, this is just hearsay but…" She gestured for Mami to come closer. When she did, the lancer whispered into her ear. "I was wandering the academy and I hear some things about an android that fights with a bunch of laser blades and wires - a bit like you, right? Ring any bells?"

Mami frowned. "That's classified. You're not allowed to know that."

"Wasn't my fault. If they didn't want anyone to know then they shouldn't have been talking about it where other people could hear them."

Mami leaned back into her chair. "Honestly, Kyouko. You pick a fight with Direwolves in a blizzard with no idea what Direwolves are and eavesdrop on discussions about a top secret project by complete accident. You are both very stupid and very unlucky."

Kyouko winced. "I've been called both of those before, but never at the same time…"

"Suffice it to say, I know about it and they have my blessing. You're not getting anything more than that."

Kyouko waved at her dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I just remembered it because what you were talking about sounded familiar, what with the many weapons and ribbon-wire thing."

"Stop talking about it."

"Right, right. Sorry… Wait, if you use shotgun-batons, what about your-"

"If you're talking about the Tiro Barrage Cannons, yes they are my weapons as well. Unlike the shotgun-batons, they aren't disposable. They're also not light or small enough to use in actual combat so they're strictly for long range bombardment only. I will admit that they're more convenient than traditional artillery weapons, however."

"Don't you have a more mobile version of them?"

Mami winced. "I'm working on one." She looked away. "I still don't know how to retain most of the firepower without it blowing up in my hands."

Kyouko held in a snigger. "Wait, you made a prototype that blew up in your hands?"

"It was not a fun night in the Atlas Machine Shops."

The laugh that the lancer was keeping down suddenly exploded from her lips. "Oh man! You gotta tell me more of this." The waiter arrived with her second round of cake. "Perfect timing."

Mami sighed. "After this, _you're_ the one telling the embarrassing stories. In any case, the weapon was to be roughly four feet in length…"

 _ **Present evening, Atlas Hospital Ward…**_

"Wow. That sounds really boring."

Homura turned another page on her book. "That's exactly what Sakura said."

Homura was just recounting to Sayaka what her mission with Mami was like. Aside from one incident at the very end, the story was far from interesting. Kyouko was quite vocal about it and it seemed that Sayaka agreed.

"Tell me, Miss Akemi. Have you worked with Mami before?"

Homura shook her head. "This is the first time. I've heard of Miss Tomoe before, however. It's hard not to know of the pioneer in mobile artillery weapons.

Sakaya laughed. "Oh yeah. I remember. It was all in the news when it was unveiled. ' _Thanks to recent developments in technology, heavy artillery siege cannons can now be compacted into large suitcases, more applications being developed_.' And then they showed footage of Mami blowing up building that was going to be demolished. Oh man that was so cool!"

Sayaka blinked and turned to Homura, who was giving her another one of those odd smiles. "What is it?"

"It's nothing to worry about. You just remind me of someone I met long ago."

As Homura returned to reading, Sayaka couldn't help but wonder why they were in a hospital room together. Mami, she'd understand. Kyouko would be a stretch but would still make sense. But Homura Akemi, a woman Sayaka had met once in the shuttle bays before her departure, someone she was barely associated to? Things didn't add up.

Just as she was going to ask, the door opened and in entered none other than Mami Tomoe.

"I've finished debriefing Miss Shizuki," Mami reported. She made eye contact with Sayaka and smiled. "I see she's awake. Good evening, Miss Sayaka Miki."

Homura glanced at the wall clock before raising an eyebrow at Mami. "Delays?"

"You can say that," Mami answered. "I'm sorry for being late. Mr. Kamijou awoke while I was speaking with Miss Shizuki and she insisted that she talk to him. Considering what she just went through, I decided to let her speak." She smiled sadly. "My heart got the better of me, it seems."

Homura closed her eyes just as she closed her book. "I don't mind." She stood and nodded at Sayaka. "It's been a good talk. If you'll both excuse me, I'll be taking my leave."

Sayaka tilted her head curiously as she watched the archer exit the room. It was quiet and understated. If she didn't announce she was leaving then no one would notice that she left. Why'd she even leave in the first place? It didn't look like she disliked the company. In fact, she looked like she was enjoying herself. Why'd she decide to leave? It's just so strange.

"She's an odd one, isn't she?" Mami suddenly said, as if thinking exactly what Sayaka was just thinking. "Well, perhaps odd is a little insulting," she added with a hint of embarrassment.

"Maybe she just doesn't like crowded rooms?" Sayaka suggested. " _Three is a crowd_ , as the saying goes."

Mami nodded slowly. "Maybe…" She shook her head. "In any case, how are you, Miss Miki?"

"Eh, I'm mostly fine - just totally drained of aura. You know how it is when that happens, right?"

Of course, Sayaka knew that Mami knew. As her teacher back when she was still a huntress-in-training, Mami was the one who told her about it. Aura, once fully drained, takes a while to recharge. Depending on how fast it was drained, it could be anywhere between an hour and two days. Sayaka still remembered that lesson. Of course Mami would remember it as well.

"Ah. You healed Mr. Kamijou, yes?"

Sayaka smiled proudly. "Yeah. That Akemi lady said I saved his life."

Mami frowned. "Yes, you did… Did Miss Akemi tell you anything else?"

Sayaka blinked, not liking where the conversation was going. "No. No she didn't…"

"Oh dear…" Mami crossed her arms, looking conflicted.

The pause didn't sit well with Sayaka. A pause like that always meant there was some sort of follow up. Considering the topic that came before, the follow up could only be bad.

A heavy atmosphere seemed to blanket the room as Mami finally spoke. "Mr. Kamijou survived, but payed a heavy price. I know your powers allow you to heal injuries that can't normally be healed with aura, however…" Mami pursed her lips. "However, you may have been too late to save all of him…"

Sayaka flashed back to the large gash running along Kyousuke's entire arm. "His arm," she breathed. "He lost the use of his arm, didn't he?"

Mami winced, as if physically pained by what she was about to say. "He can still move his arm and his hand still retains some feeling, but all fine motor control has been lost… I'm sorry Sayaka. Unless he decides to amputate and use a prosthetic, Kyousuke Kamijou's life as a huntsman is over."

 _ **Later, outside the Hospital Ward…**_

Kyouko nudged Homura in the shoulder. "Hey, there she is." She waved. "Oi, Mami!"

Kyouko raised her eyebrows as she watched Mami approach. She had a notable heaviness in her steps - almost like she was stom-

Kyouko wasn't able to finish that thought as Mami's voice pierced the night. "Why didn't you tell her!?"

This earned a blink of confusion from Kyouko. "Wha-"

"Not you." Mami pushed Kyouko aside. She then looked Homura Akemi dead in the eyes. Respect to Homura, she didn't even flinch. "Homura Akemi, you were there the entire time. Why didn't you tell her?"

"I didn't need to," she answered simply.

Mami grabbed her shoulders. "Sayaka Miki needed to know what happened! You _had_ to tell her!"

In reply to Mami's outburst, Homura gave her the coldest glare any of them had ever seen. "No. _I_ didn't need to. _You_ did." Mami seemed to falter at those words. "To me, Sayaka Miki is just a girl I met - a stranger. You, on the other hand, are her teacher. She knows you and looks up to you. Furthermore, Kyousuke Kamijou knows you as well. _You_ are the one most qualified to tell her. Why, then, do you pin this responsibility on me?" She swatted Mami's hands off her shoulders, giving one last soul penetrating look before walking away. "It is your duty to bear, Mami Tomoe. Stop being selfish and accept it."

Mami could only look back, wide eyed. "I… I…"

Kyouko rushed to Mami's side right as her knees gave in. She turned to Homura who was slowly increasing the distance between them. "What's wrong with you!? Do you have any idea how hard it must've been for her to tell Miki about that boy!?"

Homura stopped, but didn't turn back to look at them. With a voice as clear as day, she answered. "Yes. I understand how difficult it is. Don't you _dare_ imply that I don't."

Kyouko's voice died in her mouth. After hearing that, what could she have replied with? Sure, she could have told Homura that she didn't have to be so mean about it, but what would that achieve? Consider everything that the archer said in the past five minutes. No amount of words from Kyouko would make a difference.

And it seemed that she wasn't the only one who came to that conclusion.

"She's right…" Even while in Kyouko's arms, Mami's voice was small and weak. "I just didn't want the burden of telling her. It was too much for me…"

Kyouko frowned. "Hey…"

"It makes me wonder what I'll do when the time comes where I have to inform a hunter's friends and family about their death… Will I even be able to look them in the eyes…? It tears me up inside just thinking about it…"

Kyouko was surprised when it happened but, deep inside, she knew that Mami would inevitably start sobbing.

To think they'd met for the first time less than a week ago and already she was having an emotional breakdown in Kyouko's arms. And they had something like a date just a few hours ago too. Maybe it was her maternal instincts kicking in but everything about the situation made Kyouko want to pull Mami in even closer and tell her everything would be alright. She wanted - no, _needed_ to protect Mami. And when she realized what that meant…

Kyouko smiled ruefully. "I really _am_ stupid and unlucky," she muttered to herself. She then pulled Mami to her feet. "Alright, up you go. Let's get you back to your quarters."

 _ **End of chapter…**_

 **Much of this chapter is filler. However, the parts that are _not_ filler are up to you to figure out.**

 **What I imagine Atlas looks like is something with a layout similar to Honouji Academy from _Kill La Kill_ with the aesthetic of Mitakihara City from the _Madoka Magica_ anime. If you haven't seen Kill La Kill yet and can't see what I'm talking about, let me paint the picture for you. Think of a giant fortress in the middle of a landlocked sea spanning several miles in all directions, surrounded by snowy mountains. That is what I imagine Atlas to be like.**

 **Of course, I'd probably decrease the size of the slums, seeing as a militarize country would prevent most people from becoming homeless bums that make no contribution to society.**

 **In any case, I don't have as much to discuss this chapter as I did in the previous ones. I'll stop this author's note here. Leave a review if you are so inclined. Until next chapter.**


	5. Making Connections

**Here is the new chapter. This time Sayaka is the focus.  
Once again, I reiterate, this story has world building that may or may not conflict with canon.**

 **Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize.**

 ** _A few years ago, the desert outside Shade Academy…_**

Sayaka had to admit, Vacuo wasn't quite as hot as she expected it to be. Sure, being a girl who grew up in Mistral meant that she was used to winters being significantly colder, but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the fact that she was proven wrong. And considering her combat gear was far more suited to warmer environments than her teammates, she couldn't really complain even if she wanted to - neither Hitomi nor Kyousuke would let her.

In the icy lands of the north where everyone was cold and humorless - *cough* Atlas *cough* - a strapless dress and shorts would be considered stupid and inefficient clothing for field work. However, considering her cape, semblance, and naturally hardy constitution, she could easily tough out the cold. In Vacuo, however the airy clothing was to her benefit.

In comparison, Hitomi's winter coat that hid all her bombs and Kyousuke's combat formal wear were about as far from beneficial as can be in the desert. They'd both be cooked alive in their combat gear if they didn't have the common sense to switch to less stuffy clothes. Though, less stuffy was still a relative term as Hitomi still wore long sleeves and a rather long skirt while Kyousuke merely removed his cardigan and half unbuttoned his shirt. Still, better than before.

"Oi, Miki! What the hell are you doing?"

A voice called out to Sayaka from the distance - gruff and informal. The voice of the huntress she and her team were shadowing. It was only then that she realized that everyone was already pulling ahead of her. She broke into a run.

By the time she caught up, they were waiting for her near some small rock formations jutting out of the sand. "Sorry, Miss Sakura. It won't happen again."

"It better not. I won't be the one getting killed if we get separated," the huntress scolded. "And cut it with that _Miss_ crap. It's pissing me off. Call either me Kyouko or ma'am, got it?"

Sayaka nodded apprehensively "R-right. Will do, ma'am…" Beside her, Hitomi gave her a smug smile to which Sayaka scowled. "Oh don't give me that look."

Hitomi shook her head. "What look? I'm not doing anything."

"Both of you, shut up and get down," Kyouko ordered. Sayaka and her team followed, pressing themselves against the rocks.

Kyouko raised her index finger to her lips in a gesture to stay quiet. She then pointed over the rocks. They cautiously peeked over it.

A pack of Grimm were slowly traversing the baked land, the black of their fur clearly visible in the cloudless day. They were too far away for Sayaka to discern any distinguishing features other than that they walked on all fours and that there were a lot of them.

Sayaka turned to Hitomi expectantly. She whispered. "They're obviously not Direwolves, but…"

Hitomi shook her head. "No. You'll never see a Direwolf this far south. They have to be… what was the name? Hysteria?"

Sayaka rolled her eyes. "How should I know? You know I'm barely passing Grimm Combat Theory."

"The girl in green's right," Kyouko confirmed. "Those are Hysteria - hyena Grimm native to these parts. They aren't too strong, but there are a lot of them." She crouched back down behind the rocks, the others following suit.

"These guys are an off shoot from a big pack that tried to break through the walls yesterday. Really, it was more like they were running headlong into a meat grinder with how easily we dealt with them." Kyouko chuckled to herself for a moment, as if replaying what happened in her mind. "Anyway, we're supposed to kill any stragglers. Those guys are the stragglers. We're gonna kill them. Any questions?"

"How are we gonna kill them?" Sayaka suddenly blurted out.

Kyouko stared at her dryly. "You got a sword, don't you? Poke them with the pointy end until they stop moving. You're a huntress in training. You should've figured that out by now."

Hitomi gave another smile. Sayaka grimaced. "I meant: _what's our strategy_?"

Kyouko blinked. "Oh, you mean _that_? Just make a little bit of noise and they're come to you. They aren't very smart so you can probably shoot them down before they even reach you. By the time they realize something's going wrong, most of them will be dead."

"Really? It's that simple?"

"Yeah. Watch." Kyouko stood and began yelling. "Hey, you sons of bitches! Over here!" Soon after, wild howls came from the distance. "Alright, they're coming."

Sayaka grabbed Kyouko's arm and pulled her down. "Why did you ask us to be quiet earlier if you're just gonna scream and lure them to us!?"

"I wanted you to know what you're dealing with first. Seriously though, they're not hard to kill. Stop worrying so much."

"Both you and I are melee and Hitomi's bombs are hand tossed. We don't exactly have the range to shoot them all down before we're overwhelmed."

"Oh? Well I'm sorry your team is so poorly balanced. Maybe find someone who uses a gun next time you go on a mission?"

It was then that Kyousuke spoke. "I don't know. They're pretty clumped up and the area's completely clear. I could probably take them all out in one go." He pressed his violin against his chin. "Shall I?"

Both Sayaka and Hitomi paled while Kyouko looked at him in confusion. "Kid, what the hell are you talking about?"

"His weapon is his violin," Hitomi explained. "He uses a combination of dust and sound to kill things or make teammates more effective. In this case, he's out to kill. You might wanna cover your ears."

Kyouko, upon hearing _'uses sound to kill things'_ , immediately plugged both ears, not even bothering to listen to the rest of what Hitomi was saying.

Noting that everyone was ready, Kyousuke let loose a low note, causing intense rumbling in the ground and air. Shortly after, an explosion blasted half the Hysteria into black smoke while the rest scattered in panic.

Kyouko watched the carnage with a strange excitement. "I never knew violins could be so violent," she said with a grin.

"I'm sending in another one," Kyousuke announced. Everyone covered their ears once more as a second explosion rocked the approaching pack.

Kyouko put a hand on Kyousuke's shoulder. "Okay, they're all dead. Enough artillery A-chords or whatever they're called. You might've accidentally called every single Hysteria within a five mile radius to this exact spot. You know that right?"

Kyousuke scratched the back of his head. "No?"

Kyouko sighed. "Save your strength. We might need more of those big booms in a bit." She then turned to Sayaka and Hitomi who were still crouching behind the rocks. "Sit tight for now. I'm calling for some backup while we wait."

Sayaka sighed. Their first mission in Vacuo and it had to be something like this…

 ** _Present day, Atlas Central Command, briefing room A…_**

After two days of hospitalization, Sayaka returned to active duty, although _active_ may have been stretching things. Due to orders from the higher ups, she was not to take any missions on the day she was released as was instead to report to Central Command for questioning. Thus, she sat in a dimly lit room, staring at the plain grey walls, humming sad tune while waiting for her interrogator to arrive.

The song she hummed was _Decretum_ \- one of Kyousuke's support spells. It gathered the ambient energy within the environment and fed it to Kyousuke's targets. It was one of his last-resort spells as it required a lot of concentration and was only as effective as the amount of energy expended by those on the battlefield. Sayaka had only heard it once but it made a big impact on her - it saved her life during a routine patrol that went horribly wrong. She could still hear the sorrowful melody giving strength to her limbs as she desperately tried to fend off a pack of Direwolves that pounced her all at once. She was hopelessly outmatched, but with the song, she survived long enough for Mami and Hitomi to get to her.

 _I'm never gonna hear that song again,_ she realized.

Right as she was about to break down and cry, the door opened, forcing Sayaka to push down her emotions. Stone faced, she stood and gave a stiff salute. "Commander Schnee."

Winter Schnee entered, shining in brilliant white - a sharp contrast to the dull walls around them. "At ease, lieutenant Miki. Take a seat."

Sayaka did so.

"I believe congratulations are in order. I believe the boy's name is Kamijou? You save him."

Sayaka nodded. "Yes, Ma'am," she said.

Winter eyed her, looking unamused. "What is wrong, lieutenant Miki? Why do you look unhappy with the results? Is he not alive right now thanks to your actions? Would you rather have him dead? Tell me, lieutenant, did you _want_ him to die?"

"N-no, Ma'am," Sayaka mumbled.

"I didn't hear you."

"No, Ma'am. I'm happy he's alive," Sayaka repeated more clearly.

Winter then regarded her carefully, like a predator analyzing how best to kill her prey. "When you saved lieutenant Kamijou, you used your semblance, yes?" She pulled out her scroll. "It's documented as 'Healing' and the specifics are listed below."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"So why, then, did _this_ happen?"

Winter tapped her scroll and suddenly a video was projected onto the table. It was Sayaka healing Kyousuke. It still had the bright blue lights on her hands and the wound like it normally did but this time, under her feet, was a glowing circle of music notes. She was so focused on the healing that she barely even noticed the blue lines sweeping across the floor under her.

"This video was recorded by the dropship's internal cameras. I also have several eye witness accounts, including one from your teammate, lieutenant Shizuki. It seems you also have a glyph semblance"

Sayaka watched as the video repeated, not sure whether or not she should believe it. Glyphs were the semblance of the Schnee family, and Sayaka was obviously not a Schnee. How could she have that as a semblance in addition to her healing?

"Do not look so surprised. While rare, the glyphs semblance has been known to manifest in people with even the smallest amount of Schnee in their blood. As it happens, you are one of those people." Winter tapped her scroll, changing the projected video into a detailed picture of Sayaka's family tree. "I did a background check. Your grandmother on your father's side is a Schnee - an illegitimate child by the looks of it."

Sayaka looked up from the image to Winter who was giving her a neutral stare. "We are distant relatives, lieutenant," she said.

 ** _Meanwhile, outside the briefing room…_**

Behind the two-way mirror, they watched the debriefing of Sayaka Miki. Kyouko was not entirely pleased with how things were going.

She put a hand on her hip. "You know, something's been bugging me: Why does this Schnee lady keep calling her ' _lieutenant_ '?"

"We talked about this, Kyouko." Mami sighed. "That is due to Atlas being a militarized nation. Licensed Huntsmen and Huntresses have a military rank equivalent to a lieutenant."

Kyouko rolled her eyes. "Pff, _ranks_. As if that matters when fighting Grimm."

"No, they don't," Mami said in agreement, much to Kyouko's surprise. "When Huntsmen and Huntresses are out in the field, the notion of rank tends to go out the window. Numerous studies have proven that strictly following the orders of non-huntsman or non-huntress superiors leads to more casualties. And so, most don't pay attention to rank anymore, instead following the lead of those they think are more capable. In that way, we're afforded much more freedom than most."

"I see." Kyouko nodded, only half listening to what Mami just said. She got the gist of things but ignored the details. "What about that Schnee lady? Isn't she a huntress too?"

"Yes, she is. However, she is also of extremely high rank - second in command to General Ironwood."

Kyouko tapped her foot. "Who is?"

Mami massaged her temples. "General Ironwood is the leader of the military and the combat academy headmaster. Basically, he is the equivalent of the head of state here in Atlas."

Kyouko whistled. "Whoa. Powerful guy. And Schnee's his number two?" She then sniggered. "Heh, number two."

"Very mature," Mami said dryly. "Yes. Winter Schnee is his _number two_. Keep in mind, she didn't get that rank for no reason. She said to be one of the most powerful huntresses in all of Atlas."

Kyouko eyed Winter with interest. "If I ever get the chance, I am _so_ going to test out how accurate that saying is."

Mami chuckled. "You're welcome to try. She's had over two hundred sparring partners and barely any of them come back for a second round."

Kyouko grinned. "Ooh. Sounds fun. When is she free?"

"I'm disappointed, Kyouko," Mami teased, pouting. "Just two days after our first date and already you're chasing someone else."

It was Kyouko's turn to laugh. "What can I say. I like powerful women."

"Can you two stop flirting?" From the back of the room stood Homura, arms crossed and eyes focused on Winter and Sayaka through the glass. "She's making the offer."

 ** _Back inside the briefing room…_**

Winter circled Sayaka's seat with slow and deliberate movements. Each step echoed in her mind, melding with the next step as easily as ripples in a pond.

"As of this moment, you have used glyphs once to enhance your current semblance of healing. However, they have far more varied uses than that. Control over light, matter, energy - you can bend the elements to your will. It can take you years of practice and experimentation for you to be able to use them effectively and efficiently. What I'm offering you is a shortcut. Under my guidance, what might take you months to figure out will only take minutes and what might take you years to master will take weeks. This is a one-time deal. What say you, Sayaka Miki?"

When Winter finished speaking, she was across from Sayaka, hands on the table and leaning forward, an intense yet impassive look on her face.

What was Sayaka supposed to say? It was a bit overwhelming. After moving to Atlas, not once did she ever expect to be in the presence of the second most powerful person in the country, let alone have a chance to be her apprentice. _Unlikely_ was an understatement and _once in a lifetime_ didn't cut it either. She had to be one of the luckiest girls alive.

So why wasn't she happy about the offer?

It didn't take her long to figure it out. "Permission to speak freely, Ma'am?"

Winter stared at her for a moment before leaning back. "Granted. The floor is yours, lieutenant."

"I moved to Atlas after my parents died and here my teammates became what little family I have left. We worked, played, and fought together for nearly five years at this point. But one of them just had a traumatic accident. Now, he might never return to active duty. Honestly, we won't know until he fully recovers what will happen to him. Until then, I want to be at his side, supporting him. I can't do that if I accept your offer." Sayaka grit her teeth.

"But if I don't accept, the exact same thing may happen again to someone else in the future - all because I couldn't heal them well enough. If what you told me is true then accepting could mean the saving of so many more lives. It just makes the most sense."

"I want to accept, Commander. I really do. But my heart's not in it. If I'm not at a hundred percent on this then I think I'll just end up a disappointment to both of us."

Winter once again regarded her with that same analyzing look from earlier. It looked less like she was determining what ways would kill Sayaka and more that she was achieving some deeper understanding of her.

"Perhaps we can make some arrangements, then? If you accept, you will be learning from me in the training facilities within Central Command. Kamijou will, of course, continue his recovery at the Hospital Ward. While Shizuki will remain on active duty but will only be assigned missions within the city. Is that arrangement to your liking?"

Sayaka blinked. It sounded almost too good to be true.

"Keep in mind that I will be working you to the bone. You may not have the energy during your free time to spend it with your so-called family. However, if you to train under me, I would be more than willing to make this proposal a reality."

Apprehension filled Sayaka's stomach as she spoke, but it was overpowered the sheer generosity of the offer. She knew there had to be a catch but, just looking at it, she would have to be stupid to decline. "Alright. I'll do it."

A smile found its way onto Winter's face. "Very well. Shall we discuss the details of our arrangement over tea… or would you like to have the discussion on a later date?"

Sayaka stood. "Uh… now is fine…"

"Excellent." Winter moved towards the door before turning back. "If you don't mind, an associate of mine will be having tea with us. I believe you know her. Mami Tomoe?"

 _Mami's coming?_ "I don't mind"

With that, the two left the briefing room.

 ** _A few minutes later, Central Command southern elevator B…_**

Central Command was an extremely large tower structure that oversaw all of Atlas, from the inner city to the outer walls. It was high enough that the military shuttle bays could still be in the middle floors without being obstructed by tall commercial buildings. Unfortunately, due to its height, many elevators had to be installed for more convenient access to lower and higher floors from any other floor. The elevators labeled A, B, and C were the few that could go from the very highest floors to the very lowest. There were almost always located at the very edge of the building, with the one exception being the central elevators were, as the name implied, in the very center.

When the doors opened, Homura stepped inside. The walls and floor were reinforced transparent glass, showing the city below in all of its pristine white glory. It was a vertigo inducing sight. Homura stared for a moment before looking away, unimpressed.

Normally, elevators had several rows of buttons showing all the floors the elevator was capable of going to. With the number of floors Central Command had, the rows of buttons were scrapped in favor of a numerical key pad. Homura typed in _001_ and pressed [ _Enter_ ], then proceeding to wait for the elevator to move.

"Oi! Hold the door!"

With a roll of her eyes, Homura put a hand forward and pushed the sliding doors back into the wall. Shortly after, Kyouko entered with her. The elevator began its descent shortly after.

"You know, I said this to Mami already, but this really is high up."

Homura hummed in acknowledgement. "You didn't join them for tea." It was not a question.

Kyouko shrugged. "Not my kind of crowd." She leaned onto the glass walls. "I talked to that Schnee lady for a bit. Honestly? She doesn't seem that tough. I bet I can take her."

"You probably can. Just get her mad." Homura glanced at Kyouko, giving a slight tilt of her head. "Shouldn't be too hard for you."

"Nope. Shouldn't be."

There was a pause.

Kyouko's voice was low and controlled when she next spoke. "I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to Mami, you know."

"I am aware."

"I'm gonna make you regret making her cry." She added more aggressively.

"Really?" Homura turned to Kyouko. "We're alone in an enclosed space and I have no way of escape. Will you make your move right now?"

Kyouko stared at her, as if having an intense debate on her answer. There was tension in the air - an electric charge steadily growing within the confines of the elevator. A single spark could set the room alight.

"No…" Kyouko muttered weakly. The atmosphere in the room relaxed. "Forget I said anything. I don't like making promises I can't keep…"

"You've gotten too attached to her," Homura observed.

Kyouko leaned back as far as the wall would allow. "I know. And after saying for so long I wouldn't after…" She shook her head. "What am I saying?"

She stomped forward to the middle of the room. "Dammit!" she screamed. "Dammit," she repeated, weaker. "I screwed up. I was supposed to be here for a few days, take a mission or two, and then leave. Nothing to it. Now… Now I can't leave. With the way things are, I'm staying for a while."

Homura closed her eyes. "To be fair, you won't be alone."

Kyouko smiled wryly. "No. I guess I won't."

"Keep in mind that certain complications have extended my stay as well."

Kyouko chuckled. "Guess I can't have it all."

There was another pause.

"Do you feel better now?" Homura asked, already sensing the answer. The mood in the room had changed and Kyouko's smile reflected it.

"Yeah, I do," she replied. "It feels nice to finally get it out."

As if reacting to Kyouko's statement, the elevator slowed to a stop. The doors opened to the ground floor, their place to get out.

Now in the lobby of Central Command, the two went their separate ways, Kyouko going straight ahead to the nearest exit, and Homura going left, towards another elevator. She entered and typed her desired floor, _B20_.

Homura scowled. _They pulled her in too_ , she thought gravely. _Why do they need Kyouko Sakura? And why do they need Sayaka Miki?_

The elevator continued going down.

 ** _End of chapter…_**

 **Vacuo is a desert. Since I'm not updated on volume 4, the only clue I have about what Vacuo is like is from that one scene from the first episode of RWBY volume 3. It gave me the impression that it's like Africa, with sandy dunes on one side of the continent, a tropical rain forest on the other side, and hot savanna in between.**

 **Huntsmen and Huntresses having a military rank of Major is a little thing I took from Full Metal Alchemist. Similarly, the name Central Command is also something I got from FMA. Atlas being a militarize country, the closest most accurate idea of a military from shounen anime I've seen is from FMA so it makes sense that I'd base my idea of Atlas on Amestris.**

 **(edit: Due to increasing concern about how high the rank of major is, I've decided to demote huntsman and huntresses to** ** **lieutenant** )**

 **Once again, I make use of flashbacks to explain what dead or otherwise incapacitated characters' powers and abilities are. In this case, it's Kyousuke's. His violin is Elsa Maria, named after the witch from the anime whom Sayaka killed by turning off her sense of pain. A morbid naming sense, I know. In any case, Kyousuke is a bard. I find that fact highly amusing. I hope you find it amusing as well.**

 **Finally, that scene at the end with Homura and Kyouko in the elevator is a mild reference to Evangelion. Seriously, fiery red head enters elevator with the stoic and gets angry? I didn't even realize it was a reference until this moment.**

 **In any case, that was this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	6. Honing the Edge

**Wow, I can't believe I'm a week late in posting this. Even worse considering how this chapter was written nearly two months ago.**

 **In any case, here is the new chapter. Enjoy if you can - if you can't I apologize.**

 ** _Afternoon, Atlas machine shops…_**

Atlas had a number of smaller machine shops scattered around the city, but when one spoke of _the_ _machine shops_ , they were most likely referring to the stadium-sized first basement floor under Central Command. It was home to over six hundred individual work stations, all outfitted with the various machines and devices necessary to construct, repair, and maintain the weapons of huntsmen and huntresses. What better place could there be for Homura Akemi to augment her current arsenal?

She took a free work station at a far corner, away from any unwanted company. There, she pulled a large suitcase out of Tempest Hourglass and laid it open on the table. The contents of said suitcase were a substantial purchase she made earlier that morning: several canisters of powered dust. All of it would be used in the creation of bombs and ammunition.

She loaded two canisters of dust -one being the standard bullet propellant, the other bring an explosive variant of fire dust - into a small circular device near the edge of her station. She also fed it several bullet casings. The device was called a cartridge loader and was designed to create customized ammunition for various types of firearms. In this case, Homura had loaded casings for pistol rounds.

She felt a chill run down her spine. An unpleasant presence had entered the room and was approaching her. She wasn't even looking and she knew who it was. With a stoic glare on her face, she turned around.

Walking towards her was a boy, no taller than five feet at most. He wore a white lab coat that dragged a little on the floor with every step. His face was a mask of a smile, so obviously fake that it was unnerving. And his eyes - his eyes were a deep piercing red. Homura afforded herself a moment of ironic satisfaction for she was correct in who she assumed was approaching.

"Incubator," she said, in a harsh yet controlled voice.

"Now now," the boy said, calm, seeming almost oblivious to the hostility present in Homura's greeting. "You know not to call me that in public. If I wanted that name being thrown around then I would have come without a disguise."

Homura regarded the boy with distaste. "Regrettably, your disguise is not very good. I still felt your inhuman aura the moment you entered the room. Your face is also creepy."

"All because you know me, Homura Akemi," he said plainly. "Look around and you'll see that no one else is acting differently despite my being here." True enough, everyone was still going about their business. "If they knew who I was then they'd likely be reacting the same way you are. As for my face, I agree that I may need to work on it. It is nothing I am too concerned about, however."

"At least you can't sneak up on me," Homura muttered, thinking of the positives. "If I can't say your real name then what do I call you?"

The boy thought for a moment before replying. "Call me Kyubey."

After a few cycles of repeating the name in her head, Homura nodded. "Very well, Kyubey, what do you want?"

"The same thing I've always wanted," he said. "I want your safety and wellbeing." There was a pause. "But of course, that's not the kind of answer you wanted, is it...? The reason I came to you today was simple curiosity. You have come here to Central many times but, in those times, I was aware of why. In this instance, your presence here was without prompting by Command. It intrigued me enough to leave the laboratories."

He turned to the cartridge loader that Homura was using. "Tell me. For what purpose do you use these facilities? I am well aware of _what_ you are doing. I am just not aware of why…"

Homura stared at him for a moment before returning to work. She pressed a button on the cartridge loader and it began its work injecting dust propellant into the bullet casings as well compacting the fire dust into the projectiles she would shoot out of her gun. The device would do that automatically so Homura need only wait for a loud _-ding-_ that indicated that it was ready for the next batch. She could do something else in the meantime.

"As you are aware, Kyouko Sakura's stay in Atlas has been extended," Homura stated.

She moved to a device on the other side of the station and loaded another canister of dust into the terminal. It was a spray station for dust coated weapons and ammunition. There, she would coat her arrows with gravity dust to give them the range she needed with no detriment to weight or damage. She pulled out a full quiver and began spraying each individual arrow, laying the finished ones on a cloth she had spread on another part of the table.

"Miss Sakura, while more than happy to remain here, has been getting restless. With Mami so busy this past week, she has been coming to me for company."

"I take it you're not happy with that?" Kyubey asked.

Homura remained silent for a time, pondering the question. "Not necessarily," was her vague answer. "However, if you know anything about Kyouko Sakura's reputation, you would know that keeping her confined to the city would be a bad idea. Sooner or later, she will want to fight something - or someone. As a person close to her, and as a person who is her equal in combat, she will want to test herself against me, which is, as you can figure out, quite troublesome for me."

"So what solution have you come up with? Surely you don't plan on actually fighting her."

"No. It's not that." There was a loud _-ding-_ telling her that her pistol ammunition was ready. She smiled. "We're going hunting."

 ** _Meanwhile, Atlas Central Command, a private studio near the top floors..._**

Sayaka shifted her weight as Winter circled her, every step almost deafening in the silence. "Your training is progressing at a steady rate," Winter said. "Unfortunately, your pace is painfully, _frustratingly_ slow."

Sayaka hung her head. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I'll-"

"Nonsense. It is nothing to apologize for." Winter stopped walking, a small smile on her face. "The problem in this case lies, not with you, but with me." Sayaka tilted her head curiously at her statement.

"I am too impatient. I forget at times that you did not discover this power at an early age and learn the workings of it over the course of your childhood. To a Schnee, the flow of power is obvious and we need only focus and energy to project a glyph. That is not the case for people like you, however..." She sighed. "You are not the first non-Schnee I've trained in the use of glyphs, nor will you be the last - not if I can help it..."

Sayaka watched, rapt with fascination at Winter Schnee, face uncharacteristically soft and pensive. The moment passed, however, and Winter returned to her usual strictly professional demeanor.

Winter unsheathed her weapon. "Draw your blade, lieutenant. Your afternoon training today will be your swordplay."

"Y-yes Ma'am." With only the briefest moment of hesitation, Sayaka drew her flintlock-cutlass, Siren Song, and stood a few paces away from Winter.

"As your mentor, I must know your proficiency in _all_ aspects of my expertise, which includes combat. Thus, we shall spar. I'll fight with only my sword. You may use whatever means you wish to defeat me." Winter gave a standard fencer's salute and took a readied stance.

Apprehension filled Sayaka's limbs but she forced it down with deep breath. She bent her knees and tightened her grip on her sword, her muscles tensing.

In a flash, Sayaka closed the gap, lunging directly for Winter's neck. The older huntress merely stepped to the side to dodge, before retaliating with a thrust to the ribs. Her aura prevented the blade from piercing straight through but she was knocked backward. She stumbled but remained on her feet.

Winter remained where she was, weapon still raised. "Your best course of action against opponents stronger than you is to end the fight as soon as possible. However, charging in as recklessly as you did would leave you vulnerable to counterattack, especially when your opponent expects it. One of the most basic of concepts taught at all combat schools is to _not be reckless_."

"Right. Sorry Ma'am."

"Again. This time, try and fight me a little more carefully."

Sayaka aimed and fired a shot which was easily deflected by Winter. She fired again and achieved the same lack of results. She felt a little hesitant to continue.

"You're taking my words a little too literally." Winter sighed. "Miss Miki, you need to calm yourself. This is a sparring match. I'm trying to gauge your skill, not kill you."

Sayaka pursed her lips. _Calm myself,_ she thought. _Right..._ She stopped for a moment and breathed deeply. What calmed her? That was an interesting question. Normally, she _was_ calm during combat, even in the heat of the tensest of battles. But something about facing Winter just unnerved her to an extent that she couldn't quite understand. Why was she so tense now compared to before?

It wasn't long before she figured it out. And with that knowledge, she was able to take one last deep breath before readying her weapon once more. She stared at Winter, face focused and determined.

Winter saw the change in demeanor and nodded. "Come then!" she ordered, signalling for Sayaka to attack.

What followed after was a blur of motion. Sparks flew as Sayaka began a relentless series of attacks, all of which Winter dodged and deflected. The blue and white fencers clashed for a time, seconds becoming minutes. Winter's face grew tight with concentration as the fight wore on but not once did she betray any emotion. After a certain point, Winter twisted Siren Song out of Sayaka's hands and brought her own sword to the blue fencer's neck.

Winter smiled. "You're formidable when you're actually trying." She sheathed her weapon and walked over to where Sayaka's had fallen, picking it up. "You fight less like a fencer and more like a dancer, as if every step, cut, and thrust is in the rhythm of a song only you can hear. I can see why you like ending fights quickly. Given time, your opponents can easily figure out the timing of your attacks."

Winter presented Siren Song to Sayaka, which she accepted and sheathed.

Winter's assessment of Sayaka's fighting style was spot on. In her mind, she was listening to one of Kyousuke's combat songs - Absolute Configuration. When he played it, his targets could more easily focus, making it seem as if time were slowed down. His power was not present in the song when she replayed it in her mind but the effects remained the same.

"As impressive as it may be, your perfect synchronization to an unheard song is still an easily exploitable weakness. It's best that you break out of that habit, or perhaps learn to switch between songs of different tempos. Come. Draw your blade once more. We shall continue sparring until I see progress."

 ** _Meanwhile, in Atlas Training Arena A…_**

Atlas had eight training arenas, all for different environments. Arenas A through C were standard arenas of differing sizes while D though H were comprised of the various biomes found in and around Atlas. Arena A was the biggest of the standard arenas and was normally used by multiple academy students simultaneously. In this instance, only two fighters were using it - due to their fighting styles, they needed the space.

"I just realized this is gonna be the first time I'll see you in action." Kyouko grinned. "Oh, this'll fun!"

Mami sighed, brandishing her ribbon gauntlets. "Prepare to be disappointed, then."

This was the first time Kyouko and Mami saw each other in their standard combat gear - they had reequipped for extreme cold during their sentry mission up far north. Mami's outfit could be described as an artistic reimagining of a sailor uniform - short sleeved shirt with a ribbon tied around the collar, short skirt, and knee-high boots, all colored the same golden shade of yellow as her hair. Kyouko, on the other hand, dressed like a combat monk, with a long, flowing red robes worn over a black sleeveless shirt and cycling shorts, tied with a strip of black cloth around her waist. The difference in their styles clashed nicely in Kyouko's eyes.

Kyouko studied Mami carefully. She stood a short distance away in a relatively relaxed stance, knees bent slightly, with Seamstress and Tailor raised to chest level. Just under her skirt, Kyouko could see the ends of four-shotgun batons - probably magnetically attached to straps on Mami's thighs.

With a feral snarl, Kyouko pounced on Mami. Mami was quick to react with a jab and back step, shooting two metal ribbons at Kyouko. Rossio Phantom easily tore through the ribbons, but was slowed down enough for Mami to pull out two shotgun-batons. She held up her hand, her ribbons holding the shotgun-batons in the air. Not letting Mami take aim, Kyouko charged again.

Since they were both fighters that excelled at close-to-mid-range engagements, it was anyone's game should they attack. However, Mami had the benefit of having weapons that had a range longer than twelve feet at maximum. Between those shotguns and the ribbons, Kyouko was at a disadvantage and had to keep the pressure up.

Unfortunately, Mami had a lot of stamina and was able to keep up with the lancer's onslaught.

With a sweep of her ribbons, she pulled Kyouko's forward foot to the side. The lancer now unbalanced and leaning backward to keep from falling, Mami swung, aiming her batons at Kyouko's exposed neck.

What happened after was hard to make out as Kyouko's instincts took over. In the split second before the baton impacted, Kyouko managed to summon a barrier which blocked the hit. At the same time, Rossio Phantom split apart and snaked around Kyouko, tearing at the ribbons surrounding her.

Kyouko regained her footing and whipped her weapon back into spear-form. One of Mami's shotgun-batons lay on the floor behind her. "Man, Mami. You are good," Kyouko complimented with a grin. "But I can't help but feel you're going easy on me."

Mami smiled. "That's because I _am_."

Kyouko frowned. "Oh come on. Why are you holding back?"

Mami giggled. "I want this to be a fair fight, Kyouko. Remember, I can so very easily wrestle your weapon out of your hands the moment you separate its links. However…" With her other gauntlet, she manipulated the ribbons and pulled the remaining two shotgun batons from under her skirt. "Barring _that_ action, I could probably fight you a little more seriously." She took a more readied stance.

Kyouko's grin returned as she crouched down, readying her own weapon.

The following engagement happened very quickly.

In a surprising turn of events, what seemed like a hundred ribbons erupted from Seamstress and Tailor, shooting out in every which way before turning to converge upon Kyouko. At the same time, Mami jumped forward, her batons trailing behind her.

Panicked, Kyouko erected a barrier all around herself which the ribbons all wrapped around. Less than a second later, the barrier collapsed in on itself, the ribbons now wrapping Kyouko instead. By that point Mami was right on top of the lancer and began a barrage of shotgun-propelled baton swings.

Mami ended the combo after a few dozen swings and then unwrapped her unsuspecting victim. The red lancer collapsed, looking dazed but otherwise fine. On the screen over them, Kyouko's aura level had been depleted by a small chunk.

Mami crouched over Kyouko, smiling sadly. "As I said, it was a disappointing battle. Rather one-sided, don't you think?"

Kyouko stared at her for a moment before smiling as well. "That. Was. AWESOME!" She yelled, raising her arms.

Mami blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

Kyouko kicked her legs and jumped to her feet. "Alright, let's go again. I think I know how to beat that."

"Oh... Okay..."

The next engagement lasted a little longer. Kyouko charged, wildly twirling her spear. Mami blocked the weapon with her batons before pulling Kyouko's legs from under her and lifted her in the air. After which, she slammed her into the ground. She was just about to repeat the action when the lancer cut the ribbon on her ankles mid-swing. She was flung towards the wall only to be stopped early by a barrier she threw up. She was given a split second of reprieve before realizing Mami was already upon her, wrapping ribbons around her neck, arms, and legs, incapacitating Kyouko.

"Mami, I give..." Kyouko wheezed, the ribbons on her neck threatening to suffocate her.

Mami then released her, giggling. "You know. You were right. This _is_ fun."

The lancer jump back up once more. "I did better that time, though, right?"

"It's progress," Mami said in agreement.

"Okay. Let's go again."

They clashed four more times that afternoon. Mami won each and every one. By the end, Kyouko was panting on the floor.

"One more time," she breathed.

Mami frowned. "Kyouko, you're aura level is in the red. I might end up killing you by accident if we keep going."

"Maaaamiiii~" Kyouko whined. She tried to jump to her feet again but was too tired. All she achieved a feeble flailing of her limbs. She scowled. "Okay, fine. We'll stop for now. Next time, I _will_ beat you, though."

"You know, I'm tied for the ninth most powerful Huntress in Atlas. I surprised you're so confident you can beat Winter if you can't even beat me. I'm even holding back."

"When you put it _that_ way..." Kyouko laughed weakly. "To be fair, you're pretty much my hard counter. Your semblance makes my weapon half as useful as it should be."

Mami chuckled as well. "Yes, that is one big thing to consider. Perhaps you should have been a little faster to compensate?" She then offered Kyouko a hand.

As soon as Kyouko moved to accept the offer, ribbons wrapped around her and lifted her upright. "Those things are pretty useful. Ever use them to file paper work or something?"

"Back when I was a student, I worked part time at restaurant as a waitress. I had a good time but was fired after two days when my manager found out I was using Seamstress and Tailor to serve the customers. That restaurant has a very firm no-weapons-indoors policy."

"Huh. That sucks," Kyouko muttered. "By the way, are you busy this weekend?"

"Hmm?"

"Homura and I are going hunting. Wanna come?"

Mami nodded slowly. "I'd like to, but I'm busy. Freshmen from the Academy have a field trip on Saturday and I'm one of the instructors assigned to supervise."

Kyouko pouted. "You know, you've been busy for almost two weeks now. Can't you just bail on them?"

Mami chuckled. "As much as that would amuse you, I have a responsibility to the school and the students. I'm sorry, Kyouko. Maybe next time."

"Maybe," Kyouko repeated glumly. "Ah, whatever. Let's hit the showers. After a fight like that, I'm starving!"

 ** _Later, in the Atlas Machine Shops..._**

"I take it you've finished arming yourself?"

Kyubey's question was unnecessary, though Homura opted to answer it anyway. Despite how creepy it was, the boy's perpetual smile gave him a look of curiosity that seemed almost genuine.

"For now. I may need to return after our hunt this weekend, provided that Kyouko Sakura leaves me Grimm to kill."

"I'm sure there will be plenty for you to dispatch," Kyubey said, skipping towards one of the elevators. "This has been a very informative experience, Homura Akemi. I look forward to more of them."

Homura watched the boy enter the elevator. "If and when that happens, fix your disguise," she said, right as the doors closed, hiding Kyubey's face from view.

 ** _End of chapter..._**

 **The machine shops is a concept that I took from _Soul Forged_ , a RWBY fic by _xT-Zealot_. They went into deep detail on the creation of weapons in the RWBY universe. The only fault I can give it is that it's a side-story to a 200k fic and some things don't make sense if you don't read it before. In either case, a good number of things about the machine shops were adapted from that fic, modified somewhat to account for hunters like Homura who use a bow and arrow.**

 **Sayaka's weapon, Siren Song, is technically also a pistol. It takes the shape of a flint lock with a foldable frame and blade. With the press of a button and the flick of her wrist, Sayaka can switch between pistol mode and cutlass mode. That being said, Sayaka won't use pistol mode a lot in this fic. She has terrible aim and only has a gun because she thinks it's cool. The flint-lock cutlass is mostly because I like the idea of pirates and Sayaka's original story being based on an old version of the little mermaid. Mermaids, if I remember correctly, were conceived when sailors mistook seals sitting on rocks for humans with fish tails. Also, she's in the RWBY universe now. She needed to have a gun of some sort.**

 **I haven't written how Mami fights before this chapter so it's been a wonderful experience. Much of her fighting style has more to do with ribbons than it does her shotgun batons - a drastic change from what she is in the anime. That change is reflective of the fact that Mami doesn't have a theoretically infinite amount of single-fire guns at her disposal anymore. In any case, I'd say her fighting style is a mix of Wilhelmina Carmel's from _Shakugan no Shana_ (ribbons), Blake Belladonna's from _RWBY_ (weapon on a string), and Sun Wukong's who is also from _RWBY_ (gun-chucks)**

 **And finally, one of the biggest reveals of this story. Kyubey is a character in this fic. He takes the form of a small boy (rather than a girl) who looks innocent and pretty much normal aside from the creepy smile. He still doesn't have emotions, though he does have a very human sense of curiosity and other human-like traits. Six chapters is a long time to reveal who is _obviously_ the main antagonist. Still, I hope you enjoyed what I've written so far of him.**

 **In any case, that was this chapter. Until the next one.**


	7. Team Bonding

**I've neglected this story for way too long. And what's sad is how this chapter's been done since October and only needed minor edits. Unfortunately, I forgot to update. And when I remembered that I needed to, I put it off for a long time. Terrible. I'm sorry.**

 **But enough apologizing. Late or not, at least it's out now. Enjoy it, if you can.**

 ** _Many years ago, on the streets of Vale…_**

"Homura, he took a left!" Madoka cried. "I'm going around!

"I'll cut off his escape routes!" Homura dropped an ice bomb at the entrance to the alley the con-artist slipped into. The mixture of dust contained within the can created a large wall of ice that blocked the path.

Madoka weaved through a steady stream of pedestrians going the opposite direction in pursuit of a man who was allegedly a con-artist. Above her was Homura, jumping from roof to roof, supporting Madoka from afar.

"Stop right there!" Madoka's voice ordered from below. The archer took aim, ready to incapacitate the man, but was then forced to dodge out of the way when the con-artist suddenly shot something out of his cane. Was it an explosive projectile?

Not taking the risk, Homura channeled her aura into Tempest Hourglass and slowed time to a crawl, quickly throwing a dampener bomb containing a mixture of water and wind dust variants that decreased the force or outright prevented explosions. Once the grenade was thrown, Homura crossed her fingers and released her time spell.

A colorless mist rapidly exited the dust bomb, causing the con-artist's projectile to fizzle out as it passed through. It landed harmlessly on the pavement.

Not even affording herself a sigh of relief, Homura leapt to another rooftop and tossed a second ice bomb in the direction the con-artist was running. With another path blocked, he turned back, only to be faced with Madoka, taking aim.

"Well, little lady, congratulations," the con-artist said. "You have me cornered and at your mercy. I have to say, your little bomb throwing friend up on the roof did a good job."

Homura frowned. The way he spoke was confident and casual, somewhat unfitting of the situation. Either he was really good at bluffing or he wasn't really scared of them despite openly stating that he was cornered. While the former was not a problem, the possibility of the latter was quite concerning.

"Sadly, neither of us will be getting what we want today. _You_ won't be getting your bounty, and _I_..." He paused to pull a large dust crystal out of his long coat. "I will not be walking away without a scratch."

By the time Homura realized what he was doing, it was already too late.

The con-artist threw the dust crystal onto the ground in front of him and aimed his cane directly at it. What followed after was a bright flash of a small explosion, after which, the very violent and inexplicable disappearance of the guy they were chasing. There was no corpse so obviously the man didn't die.

"He was so close!" Madoka puffed her cheeks and stomped her foot in frustration.

Homura dropped down to where Madoka was standing. "Something tells me that we haven't seen the last of that Torchwick guy." She sighed. "Come on, Miss Kaname. Failure or not, we still need to report back to Beacon."

Madoka sighed as well. "Alright. Let's go," she said glumly.

 ** _Present day, in the mountains southwest of Atlas…_**

"Whoa!" Kyouko cried as the Ursa she was fighting violently caught fire and burned to a smoldering ash. She jumped away and turned to Homura. "Oi! Leave some for me!"

While Kyouko ran through the forest floor, Homura followed above her, providing support fire as she soared overhead. Of course, to Kyouko, it seemed more like Homura was stealing her kills. Nothing could be done about that. The lancer could think what she wanted.

A pack of eight Beowolves entered the clearing and charged for Kyouko, some veering to the left or right to get a full surround.

"Kyouko, watch your six!" Homura ordered, tossing a root bomb at the approaching pack. Thorny vines erupted from the can, wrapping around the Grimm before planting themselves into the ground. The Beowolves were immobilized and incapacitated.

"Whoa!" Kyouko said in wonder. Taking advantage of the situation, she lashed at them until the black wolves were nothing more than corpses dissolving on the ground.

Homura de-materialized her wings and dropped to the ground. The impact with the ground was sufficiently cushioned by her aura.

"How the hell did you do _that_?" When the lancer got a quizzical stare in reply, she then added, "The vines. How'd you make a bomb that makes vines?"

"I used a mixture of water and earth dust variants, a type of dust used in agriculture, and some seeds. It resulted in a dust-bomb that wrapped targets in vines." Homura did not explain further than that. "In any case, we have subdued their immediate number."

"Eh? Finally. It was like every Grimm within a mile was attracted to us the moment we were dropped here." Kyouko turned to Homura who had dropped from the tree tops. "Hey, you don't have any emotional baggage about this place, do you? Like a loved one dying here or something? Because, if you do, I might've picked the wrong person to go hunting with me..."

Homura closed her eyes. "No," she answered plainly.

Homura could understand why Kyouko was concerned. Creatures of Grimm were attracted to negative emotion. Sadness, anger, hate, and other such things acted like a signal flare to nearby Grimm. Similarly, positive emotion repelled them. Between Kyouko and Homura, the negative emotions far outweighed the positives, regardless of whether Kyouko knew or not.

Homura was very easily the reason the Grimm were all lured to their location. While she did answer _no_ to Kyouko's question, it was the truth. She had no baggage concerning the forest they were in. Rather, Kyouko just asked the wrong question.

Kyouko took a seat against a tree, taking a breather after that long engagement. "I've sorta been wondering this for a while," she began as she kicked her feet up. She looked to Homura with an inquisitive look. "Why don't you use your arrows? They were your weapon of choice back when we did that sentry mission, but ever since, you haven't been using them."

"I have a number of tools suitable for this mission. It just happens that my bombs are the most efficient at dispatching the enemies we'll be fighting."

Kyouko shugged. "Wake me up in fifteen minutes. We can move to the next sector after my nap." She closed her eyes.

Homura raised an eyebrow. "Is this really the best place to sleep? It's too open."

"Get off my back woman. We killed everything within a mile and our fight wasn't long enough to attract Grimm from farther away. Let me sleep."

Homura rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll wake you early if I detect any hostiles."

 ** _Meanwhile, in the Atlas Hospital Ward..._**

"I'm sorry, but the technology has not reached that point yet. Even with the most advance prosthetic on the market, you won't be able to achieve the same level of dexterity required to use your weapon."

Sayaka and Hitomi were with Kyousuke when the doctor gave them the news. Kyousuke was outraged. He spent seven years of his life training in and mastering the use of Elsa Maria - one of those years devoted to designing and constructing her. The thought that he'd never be able to play her again left him absolutely furious.

Sayaka watched in silence as the boy raged. Hitomi watched with her. It was painful to see him so angry. It was more painful to see him be restrained by the nurses when he attacked the doctor. He'd surely regret doing that...

Sayaka grit her teeth and left the room. Outside, she punched the wall next to the door. "Dammit, Kyousuke!" She felt a twinge of discomfort as her aura mitigated the damage to her knuckles. At times, she wished she could just turn it off so the numbness of physical pain could distract her from her feelings.

"I know. This frustrates me too." Hitomi emerged from the room. "Him attacking medical personnel doesn't help."

"It's things like this that make me wonder if he even _deserved_ to be saved."

Hitomi sighed. "Don't say that. You know this is hard for him."

Sayaka turned to Hitomi with a cold look. Hitomi was, of course, used to glares from the fencer so it didn't faze her. And was the case for all the other times it happened, Sayaka's expression softened and she was forced to look away.

"Besides, can you honestly say you wouldn't regret it if you _didn't_ save him?" Hitomi gave her a sad smile.

Sayaka pursed her lips. "No," she admitted with reluctance. She slowly leaned into the wall. "Ah, what am I even doing, Hitomi?"

Hitomi stepped towards Sayaka and pulled her into a hug. "You're coping. We all are. No matter how many tantrums Kyousuke throws, he'll eventually get over it. Just give him some time."

"Time... I guess that's what we all need..."

The two remained like that for a few minutes but eventually Sayaka wriggled out of the embrace. She took one step away from Hitomi and sighed. "I won't have free time for the next two weeks."

Hitomi met Sayaka's gaze for a moment before averting her eyes. "Training with the Commander?"

"Yeah," Sayaka answered in confirmation. "We're going on a little trip. I won't be able to visit Kyousuke." She gave Hitomi a pleading look. "Please tell me you'll still visit him? I don't think he'll make it through this by himself."

"Of course I will. We're family, Sayaka. I won't abandon him. You know that."

"Yeah, I do. I just worry sometimes." Sayaka smiled sadly. "Our flight leaves Monday morning."

Hitomi sighed. "Well, we have one day to prepare. Tell me what time. I want to see you off."

Sayaka scratched her cheek. "I'll need to ask Commander Schnee for that. When she told me about this, she just said to wake up before dawn."

Hitomi nodded. "Well, you have my contact ID. Just send me a message when you find out."

"I'm sorry for springing this up on you all of a sudden. I didn't really expect it either."

Hitomi gave her a small smile. "Nothing to worry about. I'm glad you told me about it rather than simply disappearing without a word. I'll see you around?"

Sayaka returned the smile. "I'll see you around." With that, she walked away.

 ** _Later that evening, in the mountains southwest of Atlas..._**

"This sector's clear," Homura noted as she walked into a clearing. "We're making good progress."

"Yeah," Kyouko grumbled in response as she followed behind. "Though I feel kinda useless with you around."

The ghost of a smile crept into Homura's lips as she turned back to the lancer. "You did fine." Kyouko merely rolled her eyes at the subtle hint of cheekiness in Homura's words.

In the hours since the two began their mission, they had slain roughly nine hundred individual creatures of Grimm, clearing nearly twenty square miles of the infested forest.

Homura's bomb supply had dipped below her threshold of confidence so she used them sparingly in the more recent engagements. Of course, she still had plenty - it was just that switching to firearms would be more economical for the time being. This initially pleased Kyouko as it meant she'd have more to kill without all the explosions dispatching Grimm in large groups. Unfortunately, Homura was equally as efficient with guns, shooting with the speed and accuracy of a machine designed specifically to kill things. Kyouko had arguably less targets without the dust-bombs than she did with.

Still, as Mami had told her around two weeks ago, Homura was the infamous _Angel of Death_. As much as it frustrated Kyouko, she was not surprised that Homura's kill count far exceeded her own. Sure, she didn't believe it at first but now, after seeing the Angel in action, it was pretty much a hundred percent confirmed in Kyouko's eyes.

Homura pulled out a thermos from the large disk-shaped device on her belt and took a few sips of what Kyouko assumed was tea or coffee. The archer then tossed the thermos at her which the lancer was quick to catch. Shooting a nod of gratitude Homura's way, Kyouko drank as well. The heat of the tea - for yes, it was indeed tea - was soothing, bringing some much needed warmth to her limbs.

"We can take a break for now," Homura said, pulling out another thermos. "Make sure to return that when you're done with it."

With the given moment of respite, Kyouko poked her spear into the ground and leaned against a tree. Looking towards the sky through the leaves, she could see the gentle glow of the moon. The usual broken fragments were nowhere to be seen and instead she could see it in it full beauty. The mist of a sigh escaped her breath as she watched.

On the other side of the clearing, Homura sat on a particularly large tree root, sipping her tea. Kyouko tilted her head curiously at her before opening her pack. "Oi, Hom." She threw a bar of chocolate which Homura easily caught. "Just returning a favor," Kyouko explained.

Homura regarded Kyouko and the candy bar with an odd smile. It wasn't that she didn't look grateful but that smile just looked... conflicted? Pained, maybe? Kyouko couldn't put a finger on what it was but there was certainly something off about that smile. "Thank you," Homura said, her voice low yet audible in the night silence.

Kyouko wondered a moment whether or not to ask what was wrong but decided not to. Homura was quiet and mysterious for a reason. Kyouko wasn't quite willing to find out that reason. Not yet at least.

 ** _End of chapter..._**

 **So, this might come as a surprise but those minor edits _did_ come at a cost. I deleted a few lines and added new dialogue so some of the events in the next two chapters will have to be rearranged.**

 **Unrelated to this chapter, but it's relevant**  
 **I feel really disillusioned with RWBY. While I haven't been watching the show, I've been following the reactions of fans on reddit and tumblr. Based on the gifs and videos I've seen of the show as of volume 4, none of the aspects of the show I used to love are present anymore. I may be completely off with my conjecture here and I'll only really be sure on my thoughts on the show when I watch volume 4 in it's entirety. Suffice it to say, there is a chance that I just stop writing for RWBY all together.**

 **That does _not_ mean I'll stop writing this story. I wanna see this through to the end. Anyway, it's probably far off enough from canon that it doesn't matter what happens in the show. Honestly, at this point, it can be blatantly wrong canon-wise and I wouldn't care. This story is it's own thing now and will continue to be it's own thing until it's over.**

 **Anyway, enough of that. Happy new year everyone. We are all one step closer to the inevitable heat-death of the universe. Cheers, mates. Until next chapter.**


	8. Old Scars

**Finally picking this story back up. Sorry for the unintended hiatus. In this eighth chapter: more flirting and world building. Enjoy if you can**

 ** _Many years ago, Beacon Academy training hall..._**

Madoka fidgeted. "Why are we doing this again?"

Homura cocked her pistol. "With of the kind of weapon you use, you're at a massive disadvantage at close range. You need hand-to-hand training to compensate. _That_ is why we're doing this."

"But why do you have a gun?"

Homura walked a few paces away from Madoka. "That's because guns are more effective than bows at close range." To that, Madoka frowned. "It's just a statistic. You don't have to agree with it."

Homura stood facing Madoka, hands at her side. "Now, like we practiced. I'm gonna shoot you and you need to disarm me."

Madoka bent her knees and leaned forward. "How does this help if I'm surrounded by Grimm?" she asked, stance now readied.

"We'll get to that later," Homura said impatiently. "On my mark."

"Wait!"

"Mark!"

There was a blur of pink as Madoka surged forward and kicked Homura's pistol out of her hands. Just as quickly, Homura grabbed Madoka's leg and pulled, shoving her shield into the archer's face. Madoka collapsed.

"I was going to ask what you meant by _disarm_ ," Madoka grumbled as she sat up. She pouted at Homura. "You should have told me you'd still fight without your gun, cheater."

Homura smiled. "Perhaps I _am_ a cheater," she admitted. "Not all opponents are helpless without their weapon. _However_ , they're usually less of a threat when unarmed." She picked up her pistol from the floor. "You did pretty well considering this was your first try. Have you done this before?"

Madoka shook her head. "Aside from the things we practiced earlier, this is my first time."

Homrua nodded slowly. "Well, I'm sorta just teaching you shortcuts. Against someone with actual training, you'd probably have to try much harder."

Madoka raised an eyebrow. "You didn't have formal training?"

Homura chuckled. "No. I'm completely self-taught." She tapped her chest. "Remember that scar you saw? That was from surgery. For a long time, I was too sick to be a huntress. I felt a lot better when someone unlocked my aura - enough that I could realistically become a huntress - but I lost a lot of years that could have been used in training."

Homura stood once more a few paces from Madoka who was now on her feet and read.

"How'd you, you know, get as good as you are now?"

Homura aimed her pistol. "Honestly? I was lucky. Mark!"

Madoka sidestepped the first shot, ducked under the next, pulled the gun from out of Homura's hands, and aimed a kick to the back of Homura's knees. As Homura leaned back from the impact, she swung an arm towards Madoka, bringing the both of them crashing to the floor.

"Lucky!?" Madoka asked as she scrambled over to Homura in an attempt to pin her.

"Yes!" Homura yelled, desperately trying to push Madoka off. They rolled back and forth a few times as their melee continued. It ended with Homura lying on her back, her shoulders pinned and a knee on her chest.

Homura laughed weakly. "Lucky," she breathed. "You're sure you haven't done this before?"

Madoka smiled mischievously. "I _may_ have wrestled with my younger brother back in the day." She got off of Homura and stood, offering a hand. "So what was that about being lucky?"

Homura took the archer's hand. "As I was saying, I was lucky. No one knew I'd be so good with weapons and fighting - not even me." Now on her feet, Homura rubbed the part of her hip that hit the ground when the two fell. "I got by on talent and tactics - passed the combat portion of Beacon's entrance exam through careful planning and quick execution."

"Hmm. I remember that. You were the fastest time on record."

Homura thought back to the entrance exam where they were tasked to take down a suit of armor carrying a large battle axe. Since her surname started with 'A', there was only four fights she could watch before it was her turn. She had to quickly determine what she had to do to dispatch it. It was actually pretty simple - drop a few dust-bombs inside of the suit and it fell apart quite easily. If only preparing a landing strategy for the initiation was that easy.

"Me, on the other hand..." Madoka winced, as if remembering her own experience with the entrance exam. "I didn't really like that thing," she muttered. "I nearly ran out of time trying to kill it. I wasted most of it trying to get some distance since it kept charging me."

"Which is a prime example of why we're doing this," Homura said, reloading her pistol. "Let's try that again. See if you can do it without needing to wrestle your target for ten seconds."

"I don't know. That was actually kind of fun," Madoka said with a giggle.

" _Miss Kaname_."

"Okay, okay. No need to get testy."

 _ **Late afternoon, Atlas Training Arena B...**_

Kyouko had spent little over a week pestering one Homura Akemi for a sparring match. The infamous Angel of Death shot down her offers one after another but eventually caved in to her demands. Perhaps it was due to her devilishly charming good looks? Or perhaps it was due to her incredible persistence? Regardless of the reason, the two now stood across the arena, sizing each other up for their battle.

Kyouko, of course, wore her usual red battle robes, marking her as the only bright spot in the otherwise sterile room. She bounced on the balls of her feet as she brandished her spear. At the other side of the room stood Homura, face calm but eyes seemingly glowing in an intensely analytical stare. Strangely enough, the unusual frisbee-like metal contraption she usually had strapped to her belt was instead now strapped to her left arm, which she held at the ready.

"Huh. So that thing's actually a shield?" Kyouko noted.

"It is many things," Homura replied cryptically. Kyouko shrugged off the vague answer. It was just the kind of response she expected.

"Set time limit: Ninety seconds," Homura announced. The screen above the arena came to life, displaying the specified time limit. It also displayed Kyouko and Homura's aura levels, abstracted into video game-style health bars. "Begin in five seconds."

A timer appeared at the center of the screen. There was a short beep every time it counted down. Both Kyouko and Homura tensed.

Like Mami, Homura was primarily a ranged fighter. That meant that Kyouko would need to keep close in order to stay on even footing. She could argue that she'd have the advantage in close quarters but, after a frustrating series of defeats against Mami, she'd learned not to just assume that. Homura would put up a good fight. She just didn't know _how good_ a fight.

A loud buzzer sounded upon the timer hitting zero. In that instant, all tension released from Kyouko's limbs and she lunged forward with her spear, aiming a stab at Homura's chest. Surprisingly, Homura stood her ground and batted away the spear with her shield and stepped to the side. Kyouko ended up charging right past her.

Kyouko heard the click of a gun cocking right as she skidded to a stop. Immediately she threw up a latticework barrier, turning towards the sound. She was met with Homura's intense gaze and a pistol pressed against the bottom of her chin.

"Too late," Homura whispered in her ear as she pulled the trigger.

If it weren't for her aura, the bullet would have passed straight through Kyouko's skull, boring a hole into her flesh and bone in a mere instant. As it happened, the bullet flattened itself onto her jaw, flinging her head upwards and backwards from the impact. Her ears were ringing, but she'd survive.

Kyouko only just managed to blink her daze away before the next bullet impacted her square in the chest. She doubled over, the wind sufficiently knocked out of her.

"Shit," she wheezed as she tried to look up.

Aimed right at her face was a shotgun barrel. She could only smile wryly as she heard another click of another pulled trigger.

When Kyouko next opened her eyes, she was met with the arena ceiling. Sitting quietly next to her was Homura, checking the ammo on her weapons. Kyouko laughed weakly as she tried to sit up. "You don't hold back do you?"

"I _did_ warn you," was Homura's stoic reply.

"Man, how long did that take?"

"Two seconds."

Kyouko shook her head. "I'm supposed to be one of Vacuo's elites. And here I am getting my ass kicked over and over by Atlesians and Valeians."

Homura closed her eyes and sighed. "To be fair, it wasn't necessarily a fair fight. You probably didn't know this, but I'm actually quite adept at close quarters combat." She stood and offered a hand. "Also, you're much more vulnerable at close range than you'd think."

Kyouko raised an eyebrow, accepting the hand. "Why do you mean?"

"I'm sure you know." Homura helped Kyouko to her feet.

Kyouko nodded thoughtfully. She _did_ know, actually. Despite being a melee fighter, there was still a limit to how close she could be to her opponent. She needed at least _some_ distance so she could stab someone with her spear. Otherwise, all she could do was block or shove forward with the spear shaft. Added to the apparent fact that Homura was also good at melee combat? What chance did Kyouko ever have of defeating her?

"I wanna go again."

An odd smile appeared on Homura's face. "You'll lose," she said. She did not object however.

What followed was a series of matches that all sort of blurred together into the formless impressions of failed attacks and gun shots. Within ten minutes, Kyouko was already sprawled out on the floor, panting heavily. Consulting the screen, she could see her aura levels were already in the red zone. As expected, Homura had mopped the floor with her. Multiple times.

"You're getting better," Homura noted as she knelt beside Kyouko. "I'm surprised how quickly you adapted your barrier to prevent my quick take-downs."

Kyouko managed a pained grin. During their later battles, Kyouko had jury-rigged her barriers to be more mobile and denser. It ended up costing her a lot more energy to use but it was better than letting bullets hit her directly.

"You did pretty much the same kind of technique every time," she breathed. "Unbalance me, then shoot me in the head. My aura blocks the shots but I still feel the impact. I needed something else to block it."

Homura nodded. "It is an effect of aura that many people don't pay much attention to. Aura can shield you from cuts and broken bones but won't prevent a well placed attack to the head from knocking you out."

Kyouko grunted in reply. She vaguely remembered learning about that during her days in training. It certainly _made sense_ at the very least. Shake your skull violently enough and the squishy brain inside was sure to react badly. Of course, whatever brain damage she'd get would always be temporary. It'd get healed within a few minutes thanks to her aura... probably...

"I guess that's why you always tried to get me off balance. It doesn't work if I just tank the shot. I'd just shrug it off like any other hit."

"Precisely."

Kyouko attempted to sit up, flailing her arms feebly for a moment before she managed to get both shoulders halfway off the floor. Very quickly she fell back down. Her limbs suddenly felt like butter. She hadn't felt so weak in years.

"Help," she said sheepishly.

Homura sighed. "Your soul is prioritizing the regeneration of your aura. You're going to feel weak for the next few hours." She threw Kyouko's arm over her shoulder and helped her stand. "Do I need to take you to the Hospital Ward?"

Kyouko smiled wryly. "I'll be fine. Just get me to a bench. I should be able to rest easier there."

With Homura's help, the lancer made her way into the locker room where she sat herself down on the bench nearest the locker she was assigned. Homura then pulled out a bottle of water from her shield and offered it to Kyouko.

"Oh for fuck's sake, Hom. How much dignity are you gonna steal from me today?" Kyouko accepted the bottle and poured all of its contents over her head. "Ah, much better."

"I'd like to point out that you proposed that the loser of our match would _'buy dinner'_ for the other. How soon until I'll able to cash that in?"

Kyouko blinked before pouted. "That's just twisting the knife, Homura. Not cool." She chuckled and shook her head. "Give me a few hours to recover and I'll take you out tonight. Meet me... I guess at seven? Central Plaza, south side."

Homura shot her that same odd smile from earlier and then turned to leave. "I'll see you then, Kyouko."

 _ **Evening, Atlas City Central Plaza...**_

In front of the southern gate to Central Command was a large open space with a monument right in the center of it - statues depicting a scientist, a soldier, and a huntsman standing as one under the banner of Atlas. A foot path leading to and around the monument was ringed with conifer trees and lined with flowers, all of them blooming despite the frigid temperature. It made for a picturesque view.

Officially, the place was called Atlas Central Plaza.

Unofficially, Central Plaza also referred to a highway that ran north to south through the entire city. Specifically, it referred to a four mile section of road, starting from Central Plaza proper, stretching all the way to the middle ring of the city. Most of the city's highest rated restaurants and hotels could be found along this street.

Near one of those restaurants was Kyouko, occupying one of the many benches dotting the walkways on either side of the highway. She sat there in a thick green hoodie and black pants, idly munching on some cookies - she kept a box of them in her pockets. Part of her wished she had something a little bit warmer. For a summer night, it was surprisingly chilly. As it stood, her food was the only thing distracting her from the long wait in the uncomfortable cold. An actually warm meal would have done wonders for her mood.

"And there it goes," Kyouko sighed as she swallowed the very last of her snack, leaving her with nothing but the cold and the silence to keep her company. She looked up and scowled at the street lamp flickering above her. "Dammit, Homura. It's already seven. Hurry up already."

As if in response to Kyouko's complaint, a familiar feeling aura appeared at the edge of her senses. As it got closer, she could more clearly discern the signature. She turned towards its source and was unsurprised to see Homura in her black and white dress approaching from a distance.

Kyouko stood and whistled as Homura drew near. "Damn, girl. I still can't get over how well you pull off that dress. You look like a princess or something."

Homura raised an eyebrow. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Kyouko. And Mami Tomoe will not be pleased to know you're flirting with me."

The lancer grinned, throwing an arm over Homura's shoulders. "I flirt with _everyone_ , Hom. That's just how I am. Now come on. I ran out of food waiting for you. I'm starving!"

An odd smile appeared on Homura's face as she removed Kyouko's arm. "I'd like to point out that I am right on time. You should have rationed your food better."

They entered the restaurant and seated themselves at a free table. A waiter came by shortly after and took their orders. After which, they waited for their food.

"I can't imagine Miss Tomoe is happy with how you are. I'm under the impression that she's the jealous type."

Kyouko tilted her head curiously. "And I was under the impression that you were a lot less talkative. What gives?"

Once again, that odd smile found its way onto Homura's face. "It is customary during a date that the parties involved have a conversation. Of course, I am under no obligation to do that."

Kyouko leaned forward and rested her chin on her palm. "Uh huh. Then why _are_ you doing it?"

Homura took a moment to answer. In that time, a waiter arrived again with a pitcher of water and two glasses. He filled both of them before politely bowing and leaving. As they watched him walk away, Homura took a sip of her glass. Only after that did she finally speak.

"I don't hate you, Kyouko," she began. "And, while being friendly with people is not exactly something I'm used to... I _do_ think it's worth it to try - at least with you..."

Kyouko blinked. Homura's reply was completely unexpected. Something about hearing those words from a stoic loner seemed to strike her in ways she couldn't reliably describe. It was a strange feeling. Kyouko found herself chuckling. "Playing hard-ball, are we? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were after my heart."

Homura closed her eyes and took another sip. "Do I have it? If so, that was rather easy. I'm surprised you and Miss Tomoe are still together since your heart is so easily swayed."

Kyouko smirked. "Well, to be fair, we're not _together_ together."

Homura snorted, rolling her eyes. "Excuses. These days, all I ever hear about from other huntsmen and huntresses is about the wild red huntress that Major Tomoe is seeing. They all assume that you two are together and I have seen enough evidence to agree with them. Even if you two are _not_ in item, you most certainly act like you _are_."

"Didn't take you for a gossip."

"I cannot help what my co-workers talk about when I am around." She closed her eyes and took another long sip of her drink. Upon setting her glass back down, she sighed deeply. "You are egging me on," she noted.

Kyouko grinned. "What gave it away? Was it that I'm barely fighting back or that I'm just giving you more ammo with every reply?" With a shake of her head, she downed her glass and released a hearty laugh. "You know, I haven't heard that dry snark of yours since that bunker mission in the north way back when. Didn't realize how much I missed it until now. Why's this the first time I've heard it since? What happened between then and now?"

Homura stared blankly for a moment before shifting her gaze to her glass, sitting half full with water. "The people of Atlas all lie in extremes of any one spectrum," she whispered. "Seriousness, positivity, a sense of justice, a thirst for the thrill of battle. Everyone in this city has something like that. And that something always overbearing in its own right." She tapped the glass, letting ripples dance across the surface of the water. "Stay in this city long enough and you'll find what yours is. And it will be your burden to carry for the rest of your life."

Kyouko nodded thoughtfully. Part of her agreed with Homura's statement. Between Mami, Winter, Sayaka, and the few Huntsmen and Huntresses she had interacted with, there was usually _something_ extreme about them. So what was Homura's...?

A long silence followed before Kyouko resumed the conversation, changing the topic. But in the back of her mind, she was still thinking about it. Obviously something was bothering Homura. And after the speech she just heard, she knew it was something heavy. She'd needed bring it up again soon.

 _But not tonight,_ Kyouko thought. _Tonight, I just want her smiling that odd smile of hers. I wanna give her a good time..._

 _ **Many years ago, Beacon dormitories...**_

Homura stood by the window, staring at Remnant's shattered moon. For the first time in a long time, it didn't actually look shattered. It was a pristine circle, illuminating the sky as the sun would during the day. It was a beautiful sight to behold...

"Homura...?" From her bed, Madoka stirred. She looked to Homura sleepily. "Can't sleep?"

Homura shook her head. "Nightmares again," she explained.

Madoka frowned with concern. "What was it about?"

Homura massaged the bridge of her nose. "The same thing as always - I was in an empty city fighting wave after wave of Grimm. I didn't know why I wasn't retreating. For some reason, I just had to stand my ground even though I knew I couldn't hold them indefinitely. Something about reinforcements?"

She sighed and looked down at her hands. "I was doing okay for a while. Good positioning and well timed explosives made it pretty easy. But there was just too many of them. Eventually I ran out of... well, everything. Bombs, ammo, dust - I had nothing left." Her nails dug into her palms as she clenched her fist. "Right before I was overwhelmed, I managed to get on top of a building. When I looked to the distance, I didn't see any dropships or reinforcements - just an ocean of black and white that went on for miles.

"It was hopeless..."

Homura heard Madoka whimper. Homura had told her about the dream before, though that probably didn't make it any less heart breaking.

"Whenever I have this dream, it's always so vivid. I always remember it so clearly. It's like... like... like a vision or something. Is it my time powers? Some outside force? Or maybe it's just a coincidence that I keep getting it?" Homura pressed her palms to her face. "I don't understand..."

Homura felt arms wrap around her. "I don't understand either," Madoka said, pulling her into a tight embrace. "But I won't ever let that happen. You and I are teammates - _partners_. If you ever find yourself in a situation like that, know that I'll be right by your side."

Homura put a hand on Madoka's arm, closing her eyes for fear of breaking down into tears.

 _ **Past Midnight, Atlas Hospital Ward...**_

Through the vacuum sealed glass, Homura watched the girl lying in bed. She had white hair and looked no older than fifteen. Based on the markings on her hospital gown, she was a terminally ill patient.

"Good morning, Homura Akemi."

A familiar and unpleasant presence tore her attention away from the girl. In the silence of the sleeping Hospital Ward, a voice spoke in a quiet yet cheerful tone, words clearly understandable even from across the hall. From the darkness walked a small boy, with white hair and blood-red eyes.

"Kyubey." Homura once again wore look of disgust. "They let you out of Central."

"I actually have free reign to go wherever I wish so long as I don't trespass on private property. I just don't often take advantage of that privilege." He turned to the girl in the locked room. "Nagisa Momoe," he said. "That is the name of the girl in that room."

"Nagisa Momoe," Homura repeated hollowly. She returned her attention to the girl in the locked room, staring somberly at her sickly figure. "Is she the next test subject?"

"Hmm. No. Not yet. While she is certainly a candidate, she still has some months ahead of her. Should the procedure not go as planned, it may very well kill her. We'd rather not bring her to an early demise."

Homura bit her lip. The way he had phrased it made it sound a little bit more humane but it didn't change the fact that he was talking about making use of a human being in a potentially fatal experiment. Even after two months, Homura could only barely stomach the thought of it.

"Since you are here, I'll take this as an opportunity to remind you that the next operation is on Saturday at sixteen-hundred hours, same meeting place. Please remember to stay well rested. We'd like to have you at peak physical and mental condition on that day."

With that, Kyubey stalked away. In just a few steps, he had already disappeared into the shadows, his very presence extinguished like a snuffed out candle.

Homura watched this happen with a stoic glare before once again returning to Nagisa, asleep on the bed. A numbing sense of helplessness came over her. _When will it end?_ she wondered, gingerly putting a hand on the window.

The answer never came to her...

 **End of chapter...**

 **Once again, I'm deeply sorry for the long hiatus. I had no desire to write for this story for the longest time and only recently did I feel inspired enough to come back to it. It also doesn't help that I'd been unbelievably busy these past few months.**

 **At least half of this chapter was drafted seven months ago. Certain scenes worked on before the hiatus. Specifically, the two flash back scenes were the only ones I had written and edited to completion in January. Everything else was written and/or completed just this past week. I feel like there are shifts in the writing style of this chapter because of that large time gap between scenes. I'm unsure of how noticeable the changes are, though.**

 **To all the readers who were left hanging, thank you for waiting.** ** **I hope you enjoyed this chapter.** Until the next one.**


	9. Perseverance

**I'm back with another chapter to this story. In this chapter, Homura goes to her part-time job, Sayaka returns from her trip with Winter, and Kyouko watches Mami teach her students. Enjoy if you can!**

 ** _Afternoon, Atlas Central Command, 20th Basement Floor_**

Harsh white light streamed into the elevator upon the doors opening. Homura raised a hand to cover her eyes while they adjusted to the brightness. Once they did, she took a moment to breathe in the cold sterile air before stepping forward.

As she was ordered, she had arrived at the specified meeting place - the reception area of Atlas Research and Development Laboratories.

To Homura's immediate left was a small reception desk. It was empty as a matter of course but it did have a rather conspicuous person-sized camera pointing directly at her. Homura turned to stare coldly at it. For a moment, there was only silence as Homura and the camera exchanged emotionless looks. Then, a cheery voice of Kyubey greeted her from all directions.

" _Good afternoon, Homura Akemi. We are pleased to see that you are right on time. We trust that you are well rested?_ "

Homura sighed, her breath condensing into a small puff of vapor in front of her. It was the standard greeting for whenever she was called in to do work. She was sick of it. "Spare me the pleasantries, Incubator. Where will the test be conducted?"

Kyubey seemed unfazed by Homura's icy reply. " _We shall assume you are well rested_ ," he said with not even a hint of sarcasm. " _The details have been uploaded to your scroll. Please proceed to Chamber D-021_."

Homura waited in silence for a moment. When she was sure that no further orders were coming, she pulled her gaze away from the camera and began her long walk to her designated chamber.

The general layout of the laboratory was a simple but vast grid of hallways reminiscent to the symetric road layout of the city up above - Homura assumed it was a deliberate design decision. The hallways themselves were fairly wide, with a black tiled floor, muted grey walls, and a ceiling with intensely bright light panels embedded into it at regular intervals. The paint coating the surfaces was made of the same light-absorbing and soundproofing material as in the interrogation rooms. It was done to prevent outside interference during any testing but it inadvertently gave the hallways an oppressive atmosphere about them.

The specific chamber she was headed to was within an L-shaped collection of adjacent chambers and hallways called the Aura Modification Division. It was located in the southwestern quadrant of the floor and was roughly a five minute walk from the elevator at the pace Homura was moving.

As she pressed on, Homura passed by several reinforced steel doors. She knew they all lead to chambers owned by different divisions of Atlas R&D so she didn't have access to them. Still, she was always curious what went on inside them. It was probably not pleasant but she was curious all the same.

Five minutes passed by quickly and Homura arrived at her destination. The door to slid open with a pronounced hiss just as she reached it. As usual, Kyubey had made sure to greet Homura at the door as he let her in.

"Let us not waste time, Homura Akemi. Please enter."

Homura raised an eyebrow as she stopped at the door. "You're using that body," she commented, noting how Kyubey was in his child-disguise. The boy stared at her for a moment in response.

"I have grown rather fond of this body, actually," Kyubey said, smiling eerily at his hands. "I'm sure you're aware of how unusual this acquisition of a ' _preference_ ' is. Such a change in my personality was deemed so highly improbable that this is rather big news. The scientists believe that my brief interactions with you over the course of the past two weeks are the primary cause of it. We are running prediction models now on how we shall deal with it moving forward."

He waved his hand dismissively. "This is not relevant to your purpose here. You shall be updated on any developments should it be necessary. Now, please follow me."

Homura did as ordered and stepped into the room.

 ** _Meanwhile, Atlas Hangar Bay..._**

Sayaka felt her knees tremble as she stepped out of the dropship. After an eight hour flight, she could barely feel her legs. She had to repeatedly stomp her foot on the hangar bay floor to get any sensation out of them.

As Sayaka stifled a yawn, she heard the prominent click of Winter Schnee's heeled boots approach. She immediately stopped her foot stomping and stood straight. She faced Winter and moved to give a salute.

"At ease, Lieutenant." Winter said before Sayaka could even raise her hand. "You do realize that you're on-leave now, right? There's no need to be so formal."

"M-my mistake, Ma'am." Sayaka found herself stuttering.

" _Relax_ , Sayaka Miki," Winter said with thinly veiled amusement. "We are both effectively civilians for the next forty eight hours. Now take a deep breath and exhale slowly."

Sayaka did as she was told and breathed deeply. As the air exited her lungs, the tension in her shoulders loosened. She found that she felt a little bit calmer now.

"Good," Winter said, seeming to notice Sayaka's change in demeanor. "Now, I noticed you were stomping around. I take it your legs have gone numb?" Sayaka nodded. "Attempt to heal them with your aura."

Sayaka looked down and focused on her legs. Unexpectedly, a circle of music notes flashed under her feet. It lasted for less than a second before disappearing but immediately the numbness of her lower half disappeared. "Whoa..."

Winter smiled proudly. "You're improving. I doubt you even _thought_ about summoning that glyph just now. There will be much to assess in our next training session." With that last comment, Winter bid Sayaka farewell and walked away. Within seconds, she was out of sight, disappearing into the crowd.

Sayaka stood and stared for a moment before walking away as well, quietly wondering what Winter had in store for her when she reported back on the Tuesday of the following week.

For exactly twelve days, Winter had taken Sayaka to a private Schnee-owned fortress deep in the mountains. She had spent her entire stay there under a brutal and strict training regimen that involved things like meditating under the freezing cold torrent of a waterfall or dodging people armed with wooden swords while blindfolded. All of it aimed to increase Sayaka's awareness of her own flow of power - the way her aura interacted with her body and the world around her. If she was aware of the flow of power, the use of her glyphs - or even her healing semblance, really - would become much easier.

Eventually, Sayaka arrived at the hangar bay exit, suddenly realizing that she had forgotten to do something very important. _Dammit, I told Hitomi I'd call her as soon as I landed!_ She slapped her palm to her forehead, swearing internally.

Quickly, she found a private-enough corner by the window, set her bag down on a chair, and fished her scroll from out of her pockets. She then speed-dialed Hitomi and waited for her teammate to pick up.

" _This is Hitomi. I'm currently out on a mission so please just leave a message and I'll get to it later. If it's an emergency, call Central Command and ask them to patch you through to me. If it's important enough, they'll connect you. Anyway, leave a message after the beep._ "

Sayaka bit her lip as she heard the aforementioned ' _beep_ ' in her ears. Military personnel who were currently on-duty could not be contacted through civilian channels. Of course, as a licenced huntress, Sayaka could always use a _military_ channel to call Hitomi. However, those were strictly monitored she did _not_ want to face disciplinary action for wasting military bandwidth just to say ' _hi_ '.

 _I guess I'll leave a message,_ she thought wryly.

"H-hey, uh... Hitomi...? It's... it's Sayaka..."

She scratched her cheeks. Why did she feel so awkward trying to talk to her over the phone?

"I said I would call when I got back so... well... Yeah, here's the call... I'm back from... from... well, I don't know what the place is called but... uh... Right..."

Sayaka wanted to scream. What the hell was she even saying?

"It's been a long two weeks hasn't it...? We have a lot to talk about... I think..."

Sayaka shook her head. She had a bad feeling that she'd start rambling if she kept going much longer. She had to finish quickly.

"Just... call me when you're free, okay...? I... I missed you..."

Sayaka let her message continue in static silence for a moment, hesitating on saying goodbye. In the end, she hung up without saying anything.

 _I miss her,_ Sayaka thought to herself glumly as she stared that flashing _'call ended'_ text on her scroll. _Her and Kyousuke..._

Sayaka stood there in silence, letting her realization sink in. As it did, a wave of emotion passed through her, threatening to break her composure. _Not here,_ Sayaka, she thought to herself, steadying herself against the glass window. She grit her teeth and wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. _Not yet... Wait for when you're in your apartment..._

She shouldered her bag once more and made her way home as fast as she possibly could.

 ** _Meanwhile, Atlas Training Arena A..._**

Kyouko drummed her fingers on the bench she was sitting on while she watched Mami instruct her students. Weekends were technically days without classes but these students were a special case. Specifically, they were students who were part of a remedial combat class.

 _Remedial Combat classes_. When Kyouko first heard about it, she almost couldn't believe it. She had spent five years in Shade academy and not once had she ever heard those three words said together is such a way. She could understand remedial classes involving math, science, history, and all that other crap. They were complicated. But a combat class? How complicated was swinging a sword or shooting a gun? You could have the sloppiest fighting style in the world and still pass combat classes. Just how bad could these students be that they'd need remedial classes?

But then she actually _met_ the students and finally understood.

The student Mami was currently fighting slammed hard onto the training room floor.

"Please focus, Cadet Evergreen," Mami said evenly, hands behind her back.

The student, Evergreen, shakily picked himself back up, wobbling slightly. "I _am_ focusing. It's hard, okay?"

"Do not talk back to your commanding officer. Can you do it or not, Cadet?"

The boy nodded, finally regaining his balance. "Yes, I can do it."

"I cannot hear you. Can you do it?"

The boy stood straight. "Yes, Ma'am!"

Kyouko watched the exchange with interest.

The cadet Mami was addressing was Lawrence Evergreen, a third year student. He had a semblance that allowed him to control how gravity affected his body and wielded two retractable wrist blades that also functioned as sub-machine guns capable of firing small caliber rounds. He was a full head taller than Mami and looked quite fit. Based on those facts alone, there was no reason that he'd need the remedial classes.

However, there was one particular thing about him that justified it. His left leg was amputated just above the knee and had a been replaced with a prosthetic. The boy had apparently lost the use of said leg during a mission just over a year prior.

It had taken him a while to recover, even with the help of healers. It had taken him even longer to get used to the prosthetic, his body initially rejecting the leg's artificial nervous system. Now, with the leg properly calibrated, he was finally allowed to resume his training.

Mami raised her shotgun baton. "Bear your arms, Cadet. We go another round."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

With the starting ring playing through the speakers, Evergreen rushed forward with a flurry of slashes and stabs, all of which Mami blocked and deflected with her weapon. Even still, Mami was being forced back slowly.

"Left, right, left, left, right. Cadet Evergreen, you're falling into a pattern." As Mami said that, she ducked under a high slash and pushed forward with her free hand. Evergreen stumbled back.

Without giving him time to recover, Mami took a step forward and swung her baton. Evergreen managed to throw up an arm to block the hit but was suddenly put off balance by a kick to the shin. Evergreen started backing up, face strained in concentration as he blocked and dodged Mami's advancing series of swings, punches, and kicks.

"Good footwork, Cadet, but you're losing ground."

With a grunt, Evergreen attempted to knee Mami in the chest. Mami merely stepped back and dodged the move completely. She then began blocking the follow-up slashes.

Kyouko was aware that Mami wasn't fighting seriously but she still winced internally every time Evergreen left an obvious opening that Mami didn't capitalize on. The attempt to knee Mami was a perfect example. She could have easily performed a low sweeping kick and knock the boy down if she attacked right as he landed.

Still, Kyouko was impressed. Mami was holding back just the right amount without seeming like she was going easy on him - just enough to pose a challenge. She seemed to have a perfect grasp on the boy's skill level.

Evergreen, on the other hand was also quite talented. Mami was relentless in her attacks but he still managed to find openings for attacks of his own. Sure, none of them actually landed, but he at least knew how to spot an opening. Similarly, he had a pretty good grasp of his defensive capabilities, knowing when to take a hit and when to take a step back. If he wasn't constantly stumbling over himself from clumsy footwork, he'd be quite the formidable opponent.

The two clashed for a minute more before Mami declared the fight over.

"Congratulations, Cadet. You passed," Mami told Evergreen. "The official make-up exam is on Monday at thirteen-hundred hours. I expect good results from you."

The boy gave a stiff reply though it was clear he was overjoyed. "Thank you, Ma'am. Yes, Ma'am."

"You are dismissed." Mami turned to her other students who were all watching from the benches. "We have time for one more match. Have you decided who will go next?"

A girl with prosthetic arm stood up and dropped into the arena. With a metallic click, her hand pivoted at the the wrist and a small saw blade folded out of her forearm. With her off-hand, she unholstered the magnum pistol on her belt.

"Maria Bloodhunter. You do realize that you're already likely to pass the exams?"

"Ma'am. With all due respect, I just wanna fight you."

Mami smiled wryly at the reply. "Fair enough," she said. "We begin in five seconds."

Kyouko found that she was smirking wide. She liked this Maria Bloodhunter. She had a feeling they'd have a good time if they were ever together. "This chick better have the skills to back up that attitude of hers," Kyouko chuckled to herself.

The training room echoed with the sound of steel and gunfire for a while longer.

 ** _Atlas R &D Laboratories, Chamber D-021..._**

Homura took a seat next to the vacuum sealed metal coffin that the scientists had set up - stasis pod, they insisted she call it. Within the stasis pod was a woman hooked up to a life support system. She had no hair and had a misshapen face, but was undeniably a woman.

" _You know the drill_ ," one of the scientists said through the speakers. " _Begin the procedure. Incubator will facilitate the process_."

Homura looked up at the glass window and frowned. She said nothing however. Instead, she removed her left glove and produced a small diamond shaped jewel that she had hidden inside it. It glowed a brilliant magenta and radiated a gentle warmth.

As she bathed in the light of the jewel, she began speaking to the person in the coffin.

"Hello there." She said, voice even and steady. "I know you can hear me and I know you can't speak. Even still, I think this is a conversation both of us must have."

There was a moment of silence as Homura awaited a response. Then, in her mind, she heard a voice.

" _H-how...?_ " the voice asked. " _How can I hear you? And How can I talk to you? They said I'm supposed to be asleep._ "

"Magic and miracles exist, in one form or another," Homura replied. "And you _are_ asleep. It's the only reason we are able to speak right now."

" _Are you the one they were talking about? The one who will give me a new body?_ "

Homura pursed her lips. "Something like that."

" _I know that I might die from this. But I'm at a point where I'd rather be dead than live on like this. Success or fail, however this goes will be a better outcome for me than just staying as I am. Whatever you're going to do, please do it._ "

Homura closed her eyes and nodded. "That's all I needed," she whispered softly. She then looked up at the glass window once more. "It's done. Begin the transfer."

The voice of Kyubey blared in the speakers. " _Transfer sequence initiated. Please stand by..._ "

The machines around Homura came alive, the sound of thousands of small whirring fans filling her ears. The transfer boot up would take at least three minutes to complete, allowing Homura more time to examine the test subject in the pod.

Homura had skimmed enough of the file sent to her to know the basics. The test subject was a huntress in her late 30s who was suffering from full body paralysis. She had supposedly died three months ago in a blizzard but was apparently found a week later by a team of huntsmen and huntresses who had wandered off their routine patrol path. It was a miracle she hadn't been eaten by Grimm. The file made particular note that she had no living family members or any possible affiliates.

Atlas technology was advanced, but it could only go so far. While it was perfectly possible to create a full-body cyborg little by little, to do so all at once would put too much strain on whatever remains of the original biological body. They weren't at a point where it was viable yet. However, the Aura Mod division had proposed the alternate solution of simply transferring the soul of a person into a robotic body. They already had something of a success in creating an artificial soul that could control complex machinery. The team originally working on it had been transferred to a different department as ordered by the higher ups but their research notes were still readily available to the scientists of the Aura Mod division.

But the creation of a soul specifically to inhabit a vessel and the transference of an already existing soul into a vessel were two different things. There were borders they could not cross, and one of them was the fact that souls were tied to the body they inhabited. They had to bend physical laws to be able to do what they aimed to do.

That's where Homura came in.

" _Boot up complete. Thank you for standing by. Awaiting operator's input..._ "

Thanks to Homura's semblance, she had powers over space and time. She was usually limited to her available pool of aura so her powers had limits. However, she was very much in a position to do things that were far about her normal limits - especially for something like this.

She stood and raised her hands over the stasis pod. With a deep breath, she channelled aura into her semblance and ripped a hole in the fabric of time and space.

 ** _Many years ago, Beacon Academy Dormitories..._**

Homura fidgeted as she sat across the bed from Madoka, hands clenched on her lap. Madoka was similarly shifting nervously in front of her.

"So... um," Madoka mumbled. "I haven't been completely honest with you, Homura."

Homura swallowed down a bout of nervousness that welled up inside her. "I... uh... what is this about, Madoka...?" she asked shakily.

Madoka wouldn't meet her eyes. "It's about my semblance. You already know that I can project wings onto my back and fly." Homura nodded, internally bracing herself for the ' _but_ ' that was sure to follow. "It's hereditary. My grandmother had it, and my parents say some of my aunts and uncles have it. They say it's uncommon but it happens. My manifestation of the semblance is apparently the most powerful it's been in five generations."

Homura kept nodding. All of this were things she already knew.

"But it's not actually my only semblance."

Madoka let her words hang in the air for a moment before gesturing for Homura to hold out her hands. After Homura complied, Madoka took hold of them. Immediately Homura felt energy flow into her, a certain warmth radiating from where she and Madoka maintained physical contact.

"Aura manipulation," Homura breathed.

Madoka gave her a small smile. "I can transfer aura from one person to another, increase the rate someone regenerates aura, make it so the use of your semblance consumes less aura - I can do lots of things." She shook her head. "I don't actually know the mechanics of my semblance, though. I know what it does and how to use it, but I can't grasp why..."

Homura nodded once more, unsure how to respond.

"Why'd you keep this a secret?" she found herself asking. "And why tell me now?"

Madoka gave Homura's hands a soft squeeze. "Around the time I started here at beacon I... I kind of had a sort of epiphany about my semblance - like some sort of vision. I saw a new way to use my power... but I can only do it if someone is there to help me."

Homura found herself staring thoughtfully into Madoka's eyes. Semblances usually stopped developing at some point during puberty so to discover a new use of her power at such an age would mean she either always had this power or was just a late bloomer. Homura was doubtful it was the latter option for a lot of reasons.

"I am... intrigued... How can I help...?"

The relief in Madoka's face when Homura said that was enough to melt Homura's heart. She must have been quite worried.

"I'm sure know that sharing your aura pool with someone will usually increase your available power by almost double, right?" Madoka beamed. "In my vision, I learned that I can make that increase so much larger."

Homura blinked. "How...?"

"Well I..." Madoka once again averted her eyes, her smile turning into an embarrassed one. "Like I said, I don't really understand the mechanics of it. As far as I can tell, it has something to do with person's soul and how it is projected into this world as aura."

Homura found herself rolling her eyes. "Obviously."

Madoka pouted. "Really, Homura? Sarcasm? Do you want to help or not?"

It was Homura's turn to avert her eyes. "Y-yes..."

"Well, what it will do is somehow establish a direct connection between our two souls, allowing them to work together in producing aura. It'll make us a lot stronger. The only downside is..." Madoka's cheeks lit up. "Well... It will be very intimate... We'll be so connected that we won't have any privacy anymore... not even in our thoughts... It's one of the reasons why I was really nervous bringing this up to you..."

Homura didn't _quite_ understand but had a feeling that the implications were drastic. "Madoka, are you sure this is what you want? Being connected to me like that?"

Madoka put a hand on Homura's cheek, smiling slightly. "You're my partner, Homura. I'd trust you with my life. Who else would I want to do this with than you?"

Homura touched Madoka's hand on her face, nodding thoughtfully. She let out a deep sigh. "For the record, I feel the same way. If there was anyone I'd do this with, it'd be you. How does this go?"

"The first step is actually to gain consent of the other party," Madoka said. "Since that's over and done with... Okay, same pose as before. Hold hands, maintain eye contact."

They did so.

"Brace yourself, Homura," Madoka warned. "This might get a bit... um..."

"Intense?" Homura suggested.

"Yeah, intense could work... Count down from three, okay?"

Homura pursed her lips. "Three..."

Madoka gave Homura's hands another squeeze. "Two..."

"One-"

Homura was barely able to get the word out when she suddenly started seeing flashes of Madoka's life. Sights, smells, sensations, emotions, thoughts - they all flowed her Homura in an eternal overwhelming torrent. Then she blinked, and gasped. She was suddenly back in their dorm room, as if not even a second had passed.

"Wow," Homura breathed, unsure how to react to what she just experienced.

"Can you feel it, Homura?" Madoka asked?

Homura put a hand on her head, a vague sense of sheer joy bleeding into her from the outside. She looked up at Madoka who was beaming at her with a thousand-watt smile. Was that vague feeling what she thought it was...?

"You _do_ feel it!" Madoka cheered, rushing forward and pulling Homura into a tight hug. "Thank you, Homura!"

"I still don't understand what's happened," Homura said with a confused smile.

"We're connected. We can sense everything about each other - every thought and emotion."

"That's... well I guess that's good. I don't really feel a dif-"

Homura blinked as a stray thought somehow entered her mind. She looked down at Madoka who hugged her even tighter. "Madoka... Did you just..."

"Don't say it aloud, _please_!" Madoka begged. "Just... no words... just let your feelings speak for themselves."

Homura stared for a moment before giggling. She could literally feel Madoka's embarrassment through their connection. What an absurd turn of events. Even still, Homura returned the embrace, doing as Madoka asked and transmitting her response without speaking.

 ** _Present day, Atlas R &D Laboratories, Chamber D-021..._**

"Congratulations. You now have a new body."

If the matter-of-fact way Homura had said those words bothered the huntress in any way, she did not show it. Granted, it would be difficult to show such emotion when her body's equivalent of a face was incapable of movement.

The huntress sat up, examining her new body - a sleek skeletal humanoid of carbon fiber and steel. She was shaped like a person and moved like a person but anyone who looked at her would have assumed otherwise.

"I can move," the huntress said. "I almost can't believe it..."

"I am required by protocol to tell you that your current container for your soul is not the robotic skeleton but rather spherical device called a _'core_ ' embedded into your chest. In due time, the core shall be removed from the robotic skeleton and transferred to a body that is properly calibrated."

The huntress raised her hands. "Hey, I'm not gonna complain. This is at least better than being a vegetable." She then crossed her arms. "Although, getting my soul shoved into a metal egg isn't exactly how I saw this procedure going."

Homura touched her left hand, gloved once more. "There are worse ways to go."

The huntress noticed the gesture and seemed sobered by it. "You know... I saw a lot of things when you pulled me out of my old body... are you really okay with this? Doing this procedure for these scientists?"

Homura closed her eyes. "You know what you've seen. What else do I have left...?" She turned away. "The scientists will conduct some tests now. Please cooperate with them." With that, she started walking for the door.

"Hey," the huntress called right before Homura exited the room. She stopped in her tracks but did not turn back. "I just wanted to say thank you... to both of you..."

A moment of silence passed. Homura exited the room with no reply.

 _ **End of chapter...**_

 **The concept of prosthetic limb technology in Remnant really intrigues me. I'm not entirely sure if Rooster Teeth elaborated on the mechanics of the technology in RWBY Volume 4 but I get the feeling that I wouldn't like their implementation of it even if they did. Regardless of that, I took it upon myself to adapt certain elements of various sci-fi and future-fantasy prosthetics and incorporated them into this story. I touched on _some_ of the little details about the topic in Kyouko and Mami's scene but I probably won't delve too deep into it until I start writing about Kyousuke and his messed up right arm.**

 **In RWBY Vol. 3, they introduced the concept of transferring aura - the manifestation of someone's soul - from one person to another. It got me wondering how that technology was made and what the other possible applications for it were. Eventually, the idea of "shoving of someone's soul into a metal egg" came into my head and I rolled with that. And as it happened, it fit quite well with the fact that this is also a Madoka Magica fanfic.**

 **Between the prosthetics and the whole soul transfer business, I'd say this story is starting to pick up. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you all in the next one.**


	10. Family Reunions

**After half a year, I finally update. What an absolute travesty. At least it's out now, though.**

 **I have things to say in the ending author's notes. I suggest you stick around for that.**

 ** _A few years ago, Atlas Training Arena F waiting area..._**

The four academies for huntsmen and huntresses all had different means of separating prospective students into teams and different means of initiating them into their curriculum.

At Beacon, students were catapulted into a Grimm-infested forest and were tasked with retrieving relics deep inside of it. Teams were determined via direct eye contact between the students and the synergy they show during the initiation. Those who survive were known to be adaptable, able to work well with most anyone should the situation require it.

At Haven, prospective students were allowed to choose their teammates and whether or not they pass the initiation was a matter of traversing the entire southern coast of Mistral. Initiates who go on to graduate tended to be close friends with their team and rarely worked without them.

At Shade, students would be randomly teamed up by the professors and were then dropped at random points in the Vacuo desert in the early evening. They were given no map and only a single water bottle each and were told find their way home within twenty four hours. Those that pass were known to be hardy and determined - some might even say stubborn.

And finally, at Atlas, detailed analysis was done on students and they were grouped according to what the prediction models deemed to be their ideal team among their batch. For initiation, teams were to hold out against increasingly large waves of Grimm attacks for a minimum of three hours.

It used to be that the hold out would be conducted in an abandoned town deep in the mountains. Students were told to choose a building and defend it. Failure to do so would mean death.

More recently, however, new training facilities allowed for Atlas to simulate the initiation process within the walls of the academy - an artificial city and mechanical creatures of Grimm that could be shut down with a press of a button. Failure would _not_ mean death, in that case.

Sayaka Miki was one of those students lucky enough to be part of the batch to get the simulation that year.

As Sayaka waited at her seat, she eyed her teammates worriedly. Due to extenuating circumstances, she was assigned to a team of three instead of the standard four. They had exchanged information regarding their combat prowess and general likes and dislikes. So far, there weren't any alarm bells ringing based on what she was told. Still, she couldn't help but wonder.

Take Kyousuke Kamijou, for example. He was a grey haired, unassuming boy and didn't look all that strong. However, his weapon was a dust-powered violin that, when played in combination with his semblance, could cause small earthquakes and topple buildings. It wasn't particularly effective at dealing with individual Grimm, but the sheer power of it was remarkable.

Then there was Hitomi Shizuki who was equipped with a wide array of bombs with many different effects, ranging from simply exploding and dealing damage to dispersing paralysis, sleep, and even hallucination inducing gas. Her equipment was made even more deadly by her semblance which allowed her to give mild mental suggestions to any target that could think. Usage of this power was restricted by the Atlas Military but was an invaluable asset regardless. She also seemed nice and agreeable.

As for Sayaka herself, she was an agile and aggressive swordsman, with a semblance that allowed her to numb pain and even heal herself and others of various injuries that aura didn't heal naturally. She liked to think she was quite adaptable thanks to her semblance and naturally hardy constitution.

With the three of them in one team, Sayaka had a hard time not seeing them pass the initiation. If she had any doubts at all it was the fact that none of them had any reliable ranged attacks. Kyousuke's was too dangerous to use in enclosed spaces and Hitomi's bombs were hand tossed. Sure, Sayaka had a pistol built into her cutlass but she had terrible aim.

Supposedly, there was to be a fourth member of their team whom Sayaka assumed would compensate for their lack of range. Obviously that didn't end up happening. Unfortunately they had to make do with their glaring weakness.

Sayaka sighed as she shook her head. Her mind was starting to wander, which was not something she was happy about. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if her head wasn't in the game when the initiation started.

Sayaka felt someone tap her shoulder. "Hey, Miki, right?" her teammate, Kyousuke asked. "I sorta just noticed your combat outfit... Don't you get cold?"

Sayaka found herself fidgeting in her armored blue dress. She expected to get reactions like that when she moved to Atlas - and _had_ gotten them more than once before - but the fact that her own teammate was questioning her clothing choices felt a little bit embarrassing.

"N-not really. I don't get cold easily."

Next to her, Hitomi made a mildly worried hum. "This isn't going to a problem during missions outside the walls, is it? Temperatures usually go as far down as twenty below freezing."

Sayaka frowned. She had made her outfit to fit the environment she lived in which, at the time, had been the tropical Mistral. Now that she had moved to Atlas, however...

"Well... I _hope_ it won't be a problem at least," Sayaka replied, feeling unsure of herself.

Following that short exchange was silence which lasted roughly a minute until the attendant wearing yellow spoke to them.

"My name is Mami Tomoe. I shall be overseeing your initiation. Please proceed into the training arena. We will begin shortly."

Sayaka swallowed a breath as she stood up and followed the attendant to the door. Her two teammates followed shortly after.

 ** _Early morning, Conifer Apartment Complex, Atlas Shopping District..._**

Sayaka groaned when she first opened her eyes that morning. It was the second and final day of her leave and she still felt unbelievably tired. Which didn't make sense since, aside from her nightly jogs, she had spent the majority of her leave relaxing at home. The whole two weeks of training had taken a bigger toll on her than she realized.

Next to her, under the blanket, she felt something stir. A head of green popped out of the covers and drowsily looked to Sayaka.

"Oh, Good Morning, Sayaka."

Sayaka smiled softly. "Mornin' Hitomi."

Hitomi purred as she closed her eyes once more and snuggled closer to Sayaka. The fencer smiled wryly at this. "Come on, Hitomi, don't go back to sleep. Don't you have work today?"

"I have an afternoon and evening schedule on Mondays and Thursdays," Hitomi replied airily as she continued snuggling.

Sayaka chuckled as she patted Hitomi's head on her chest. With every breath, she could feel the weight press down on her. It was comforting.

The two of them stayed like that for a long while but they eventually jerked into full wakefulness when both of their scrolls' six o'clock alarms sounded off simultaneously. With a notable grumpiness, they both got up and began their morning routine.

"We're visiting Kyousuke today at ten and I have a lunch appointment at noon," Hitomi said during breakfast. "After that, I've got work. Do you have any plans today?"

"Not really," Sayaka answered, taking a sip of her coffee. "I hear Winter's taking challengers again today. It runs for most of the afternoon. I might drop by Arena A and watch. Other than that, nothing."

"Well, my dinner break is at nineteen thirty. If you want, meet me at Central Plaza south and we can eat out."

Sayaka nodded quietly. "Sounds good..."

The two ate in silence for a moment. It was just a simple meal of sunnyside eggs with toast but it was really good eggs and toast. It was enough to warm Sayaka's mood on such a cold morning.

"It feels good being back," Sayaka said with a sigh. "I never really realized how much I missed you until I got back. It all kinda hit me all at once. I didn't really know how to deal with it..."

Sayaka pursed her lips. She didn't want to continue speaking. This wouldn't be the first time she broke into a spiel about how much she missed her two teammates. It wouldn't even be the third. The first time was when she first got home. She arrived at the apartment and broke down on the couch. The second time was when Hitomi finally arrived from work and Sayaka literally started sobbing while she clung to Hitomi like a child. After that, she had stopped counting. She just knew it was more than three and it was kind of embarrassing how often she was slipping into such a sentimental mood recently.

"Sorry. I'll stop with the sappy stuff. You've heard enough of this yesterday..."

Hitomi put a hand on Sayaka's cheek. "Hey, chin up. I'm right here, Sayaka. And Kyousuke's not going anywhere either. Just relax."

Sayaka shook her head, brushing Hitomi's hand off. "R-right-right. I'm cool. I'm cool. We're good..."

Hitomi chuckled. "It's okay to cry, you know? You're actually kinda cute when you're crying."

Sayaka felt heat rise to her cheeks. "Oh, shut up! You're ruining the moment!"

"Ruining it? I don't see that. Don't you feel better now?"

"I said _shut up_!"

With that, Sayaka began shoveling food into her mouth in an attempt to distract herself from the situation she found herself in. Hitomi giggled quietly but made no further comments.

 ** _Late-morning, Atlas Hospital Ward..._**

Sayaka and Hitomi stood by Kyousuke's bed as the doctor spoke to them. Much to their surprise, the doctor had good news to tell them.

"Firstly, I'd like to congratulate Mister Kamijou on making such a miraculous recovery," the doctor said, sounding actually impressed. "Sixty percent of the nerves and and a similar amount of the muscles in his right arm had been damaged beyond repair. And yet, with the help of Miss Miki's semblance and modern medical science, we managed to recover almost all of it."

Sayaka shot Kyousuke a small smile which he returned in kind.

"Unfortunately, his hand still has fine motor control issues, such as sudden and uncontrollable twitching. We are still testing to see how this can be fixed. However, rest assured that he can return to civilian life with no major issues."

"What's the other news, doctor?" Hitomi said quickly, aware of how upset the thought of being demoted to a civilian made Kyousuke.

"Well, it's about the prosthetic Mister Kamijou wants to have installed. We still maintain that a standard prosthetic that completely replaces his arm will not be a viable way to return to combat solely due to the complexity of using and maintaining his weapon. However..."

All three of them leaned forward at this. This tiny ray of hope was what they had been waiting for.

"There is something else you can try. Before I say any more, I want you all to know that this should remain _off the record_. Do you understand?"

Sayaka rolled her eyes and shared a dry look with Kyousuke. Hitomi seemed to want to do so as well be suppressed that urge. "With all due respect, doctor, we are all members of the military," Hitomi said flatly. "We have all been briefed on Atlas's security clearance laws the consequences of breaching it. We'll keep silent."

"Just double checking," the doctor said with a feeble chuckle. "There is currently an experimental nanomachine serum made to replace the body's nervous system. Its purpose is to allow for huntsmen and huntresses who suffer from full-body paralysis to return to duty by artificially creating nerves that allow them to move."

As the doctor continued speaking, Sayaka's eyebrows gradually started rising. She understood what was being said but was still unsure whether or not to believe it.

"The serum can only work within a small area of the body, however, and only allows for the faintest feelings of control. At its current state, it is useless to the people it was originally designed for. But on Mister Kamijou, it may prove _very_ useful. It is theorized that it will allow him to regain full control of his hand again."

"That's... that sounds..." Kyousuke looked shook, eyes alight with confusion and excitement.

"The scientists working on this serum have actually taken an interest on him. They gave me security clearance to see some of their design documents for the sole purpose of speaking to him about it. It's all quite unusual, but not unprecedented."

An insurmountable feeling of dread seemed to well up inside Sayaka at that moment, caused by a combination of deja vu, intuition, and general worry for Kyousuke's well being. Sayaka had been struck with a similarly too-good-to-be-true offer before. While she didn't necessarily regret accepting, the mere fact that Kyousuke too had such an offer dangling within arms reach right now simply couldn't be a coincidence. Something was up.

"Details regarding this possible solution to Mister Kamijou's problem has been sent to your scrolls. It also has the contact of the scientists in case you have any further questions. That is all I have to say on the matter."

As the doctor spoke, Sayaka was keenly aware of the beads of sweat forming on Kyousuke's forehead as he looked at the new unread message icon on his scroll. Sayaka and Hitomi were similarly looking warily at their scrolls.

"Well, I suppose my work here is done. Mister Kamijou is slated to leave the Hospital Ward today at seventeen hundred hours. Just one last slew of tests before he's released. I'll leave you three some privacy for now."

"Thank you for your help, Doctor," Hitomi said as the doctor left the room. Once the door closed she immediately turned to her two teammates seriously. "There has to be a catch. There can't be such an easy way to fix your problems just like that."

"I agree," Sayaka said. "But to be fair, I kinda got an offer like that from Winter and I haven't really gotten any negatives yet aside from the three of us not really seeing each other much - and _that_ would've started happening regardless."

"That's beside the point, Sayaka. Not all the horror stories people telling us when we were in the academy were just stories. There could be some very real risks to this."

"I don't care what either of you say. I'm taking this offer," Kyousuke stated, an intense look on his face. "There's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Who said anything about stopping you?" Hitomi asked, instantly deflating Kyousuke's intensity.

"Wha-?"

"Look Kyousuke, we basically assumed you were going to accept the moment we heard the offer. Two months now you've been dying to be able to play Elsa Maria again and this is giving you that chance. It wasn't hard to guess you'd accept."

When Kyousuke heard Hitomi say this, he looked to Sayaka with questioning gaze. Did she agree with Hitomi? Sayaka raised her hands in a shrug. "Hey, she's not wrong."

"Oh..." Kyousuke nodded thoughtfully at this. "I guess it's okay... I just expected you guys to put up more resistance..."

A moment of silence passed and Sayaka and Hitomi shared a look of amusement. There was something of an inside joke between the two of them about how obsessed Kyousuke was with his violin. And what made it even more amusing was how he wasn't even aware of his obsession.

"In any case," Hitomi continued. "Strings were pulled to get this opportunity to Kyousuke's reach. The people in charge have plans and like it or not we're a part of it. It's best that we all be cautious - more so than usual."

There was a another, heavier silence for a time as those words lingered in their minds. The only sound to be heard was the beeping of the heart monitor and the ambient thrum of walls.

"Well, _that_ got dark real quick," Sayaka quipped. "You know, it's things like this that make me _hate_ living in Atlas. Like, I know this stuff just sorta happens around here - it's just the way things are - but the fact that it's considered normal just rubs me the wrong way."

"It is what it is," Hitomi said with a sigh. "I think it's time we move to a different topic - preferably something less depressing."

"Oh, right, didn't Sayaka go on a trip for two weeks?" Kyousuke asked, turning to the girl in question. "How was it?"

Sayaka smiled wryly. "I thought the topic was supposed to be less depressing."

"Oh but it is~" Hitomi chimed. "Go on, Sayaka. Tell Kyousuke of your suffering."

Kyousuke smiled in confusion. "You two are giving me mixed signals here..."

With a shake of her head, Sayaka began recounting her time training under Winter in the mountains.

Even after the story finished, the conversation continued as the jumped from topic to topic. Eventually they exhausted all relevant topics to discuss and were stuck simply enjoying each other's company.

They would have been content to sit there for the rest of the day but Hitomi had work and the nurses and doctors planned to do one final series of tests on Kyousuke that afternoon. With a smile and a wave, Sayaka and Hitomi said their goodbyes and left Kyousuke's room.

"I actually really have to go now. I'm about to be late," Hitomi said, eyeing the time on her scroll.

"Don't let me keep you waiting. Go on ahead. I've got some buddies around these parts that I wanna catch up with."

With that, Sayaka and Hitomi parted ways as well.

The aforementioned "buddies" Sayaka was speaking of were several paramedics she had worked with for a few months during her days as a trainee. Since she had a healing semblance, the academy thought it best to put her in a position where she could help the most.

Thus, just under two years later, she walked towards the deployment area where most of the paramedics hung around.

As she made her way there, she smiled and nodded to a few familiar faces who smiled and nodded in return - like one extremely short nurse whom Sayaka once healed a minor headache of. It was all a pleasant surprise to see them all again. Though, there was one person she was not pleasantly surprised to see. Rather, she was more puzzled.

There in the hallway heading towards the Terminal wing was Homura Akemi, silently walking past everyone as if she wasn't even there. She was like a ghost.

For a moment, Sayaka thought about calling out to her but stopped herself. In that very same moment, Homura halted her ghostly march to look at her. Sayaka felt an intense chill well up inside her as their eyes met. And just as quickly, the feeling faded and Homura looked away, continuing her walk towards the Terminal wing.

Sayaka shook her head, immediately trying to expel the scene from her mind. She resumed her walk to her destination, increasing her pace without really meaning to. She didn't understand what she just felt. She wasn't even sure if she really did feel what she thought she just felt. She just knew that, whatever that archer lady was doing, she wanted no part in it.

 ** _A few years ago, Atlas Training Arena F..._**

Sayaka had to admit, the large mechanical beowolves that were flooding their section of "city" were a lot more intimidating than she first expected.

She had faced plenty of beowolves in her time in Mistral but very rarely had she fought _alphas_. They were bigger, tougher, with more bony plates of armor and spikes. They seemed to have enough wits about them to not just charge in and get gunned down like their lesser brethren. Instead, they attacked from the flanks while the enemy was distracted. She had helped take down a few of them during Sanctum field trips, stabbing a few in the shins while her professors were keeping them busy. The professors were the ones who ultimately took the alphas down of course but she still remembered how much more difficult they were to dispatch than regular beowolves.

The mechanical beowolves being sent at them were modeled to look and act like alphas and were similarly difficult to take down. The only difference was that she didn't have trained huntsmen and huntresses around to bail her out if she got in over her head. She supposed the shut-off switch was a close enough equivalent, though.

"Shizuki, they're coming in from the breach in the wall," Sayaka yelled as she dashed towards said breach to dispatch the beowolves that had entered from it.

Two of the wolves howled and jumped at Sayaka simultaneously, one of them sweeping low and the other sweeping high. Sayaka pitched forward and somersaulted between the two attacks, landing behind them. She then performed a series of quick slices to the back of the machines' thighs. They toppled forward, no longer able to stand upright. She then stabbed decisively through their necks and they moved no more.

As she fought, a cyan glow stick - _a dust grenade_ \- flew over her, hit the ceiling, and bounced towards the breach. A second later, wall of ice burst forth, blocking the way.

Sayaka let out a laugh, impressed by the trickshot. "Beautiful, Shizuki!"

Two beowolves trying to enter had gotten caught in the ice. It was quick work for Sayaka to stab up from under their armored ribs into what she assumed were their heart and lungs. They too shut down.

Sayaka still couldn't quite believe it. Even though they were mechanical, the training beowolves had the same weak points as an actual beowolf. She could still perform the same kill moves she learned during her training at Sanctum.

"Miki, need some help!" Kyousuke called.

Sayaka quickly left the scene and made up the stairs where Kyousuke was.

Generally speaking, defending a small location was much easier than defending a big location. It was rather unfortunate that the house assigned to them was as large as it was.

It had two stories and multiple entrances from all directions. Thankfully, the walls of the building were quite solid so they didn't need to worry about more breaches other than the ones that were already there. There was also plenty of debris and furniture to barricade some of the entrances for a time - they wouldn't last all three hours but it would certainly be better than nothing.

There were four entrances on the first floor. To the south was the front door which Sayaka had barricaded with every single piece of furniture and home appliance on the floor - sofas, refrigerators, even the kitchen sink. To the south east was the door to the garage - a structure that Kyousuke and Hitomi had managed to collapse in order to block attempts at entrance. There was a breach to the west that was too large to block with furniture. Hitomi's had to regularly reinforce and reapply the wall of ice she had created to block the way. Across the hall from the wall breach was another breach in the floor where Grimm would crawl out. Hitomi also kept it locked down with ice.

The second floor had three entrances. To the north and south were balcony entrances, one of which was barricaded similarly to the front entrance. The other balcony entrance was situated close to a breach in the ceiling, both of which Kyousuke guarded.

When Sayaka arrived, Kyousuke was currently fending off three beowolves, dodging and weaving around their claw swipes. He then dragged his bow across the strings of his violin and produced a shrill noise. A localized explosion knocked away the machines surrounding him. Sayaka took this opportunity to jump in and stab the dazed beowolves in the neck.

"Nice hustle, Kamijou." Sayaka said with a small smirk as she stood from the fallen machine.

"There's more and more of them with each wave," Kyousuke remarked, adjusting the tension of his violin strings and checking his dust reserves. "I don't think I'll be able to hold this floor alone for much longer."

"I got your back. Don't worry." Sayaka put a hand on his shoulder and activated her semblance. Both she and Kyousuke felt their fatigue drain from their limbs. "The next wave should be here soon. I'm going back down."

"Don't!" Hitomi cried, running up the stairs, a wall of ice exploding behind her. They could hear muffled howls of angry beowolves for a moment before another explosion shook the building. No further noises came from the ground floor.

Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief and fell to her knees. Sayaka lunged, skidded to a stop, and knelt down in front of her. Hitomi stammered, panting, "They... broke through the south barricade... and swarmed me. I... I barely got out..."

"Deep breaths, Shizuki," Sayaka said soothingly, activating her semblance once more. . "It's nearly over. How's your ammo?"

Hitomi shakily got back to her feet and produced a number of glow-sticks from the container on her belt. "I'm doing okay. Three ice grenades left. The rest are explosive and stun."

"Stun is electric, right?" Hitomi nodded. "You think they'd be good against them?"

Hitomi thought for a moment before nodding again. "They're machines so I imagine yes."

"Okay. I need-"

"They're here!" Kyousuke yelled right before playing another shrill note that blasted a group of beowolves back out the balcony entrance.

Sayaka grabbed three of the dust grenades Hitomi was holding and shoved them into her belt. "Keep the ground floor blocked." With that, she dashed to Kyousuke who had already been surrounded.

 ** _Mid afternoon, Atlas Training Arena A..._**

Winter Schnee was famous among those in Atlas for a number of reasons. Those reasons ranged from her rank being the second highest in the country to how she had apparently abandoned her inheritance to the Schnee family business in order to pursue her military career. All of them were valid reasons to know her name. However, in the context of the open challenge she had issued to everyone willing, the most relevant claim to fame of Winter Schnee was her combat prowess.

Winter Schnee had booked the Atlas Academy Training Arena for the purpose of fighting any and all contenders in a sparring match. Originally, she had done these matches as a method of resolving conflicts, challenging the many stuck-up military veterans who had a problem with her to duels wherein she handily mopped the floor with them. She found that she enjoyed these duels more than she first anticipated and decided to make it a regular thing.

Now that Sayaka thought about it, the story made Winter sound awfully similar to a certain huntress with wild red hair. And it came as no surprise when she entered the arena and found that very same red huntress was Winter's first opponent.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Sayaka muttered to herself, barely audible over the cheers from the crowd. Even as a wry smile tugged at her lips, she couldn't deny that she shared the their enthusiasm. Kyouko liked to show off and so did Winter. It was bound to be a fun match. Quickly she looked for somewhere to sit.

Winter Schnee stood at attention, her blade drawn and held lazily at her side. On the other side of the arena stood Kyouko, her chain-spear coiled around her shoulder. They regarded each other with analytical stares.

"Kyouko Sakura, I presume?" Winter asked. "I believe we've met once? I've heard much about you."

"Okay, if this is about me dating Mami, that's just a rumor. We're just friends."

Winter regarded Kyouko with a raised eyebrow. "I... do not see how that is relevant... In any case, I've been told of your persistence and adaptability. I look forward to testing it." She gave a fencer's salute and took a readied stance. "Bear your arms, Kyouko Sakura."

Kyouko grinned and uncoiled the her chain spear, the segments connecting until they formed the six foot spear shaft. She then dropped to a crouch. "Don't need to tell me twice. Let's dance, lady."

"Set timer, two minutes. Begin in five seconds."

Sayaka had never been one to imagine what it would be like when her colleagues and superiors got into a fight. They seemed happy to do so in reality so she never really needed to imagine such scenarios. Still though, the thought of Winter and Kyouko engaging in combat certainly left her mind wondering how it would play out.

The starting buzzer sounded and Kyouko lunged forward, her spear flashing red as it separated into three long segments. She began a complicated series of twirls with the blunt end of her chain spear, holding the bladed end with her other hand. Winter dodged and weaved through the attacks before performing a counter attack of her own.

There was a spark as Winter's saber collided with the blade of Kyouko's spear which she held up to block. Kyouko then followed up with a low sweep with the blunt end, the segments separating into even more segments as they wrapped around Winter's legs. Kyouko tugged hard and Winter slammed into the ground. She then summoned several layers of her latticework barriers to lock Winter's arms in place.

In a massive swing, Kyouko brought down her blade into Winter's face only to be stopped by Winter who had summoned a glyph to lock _her_ arms in place. Kyouko could only smile wryly at this. To think she'd be thwarted by her own tactic.

"Not even a minute in and we're at a stalemate," Winter said with a smile. "I'm impressed. Shall we call it a draw?"

"Up to you, lady. I could do this all day," Kyouko said as several more barriers locked Winter's legs and her spear segments reconnected until there were only two. She swung at her own arm with the blunt end and shattered the glyph that was holding her in place.

Winter kept smiling as a larger glyph appeared under them and several beowolves made of ice started climbing out of it like it was a portal from hell.

"I too could go at this all day," Winter quipped, still pinned to the floor.

Kyouko ended up laughing. "You have got to be kidding me! That's why people say you're invincible, huh?" She reconnected her two spear segments and gave it a twirl. "This is gonna be fun."

Sayaka winced at how Kyouko's match ended a few minutes later. Winter managed to escape her bonds while Kyouko was busy fighting her summon familiars. The white fencer used the distraction to incapacitate Kyouko with a glyph that flashed, crackled, and then completely paralyzed the lancer. She was in mid-swing when it happened and in mid-swing she remained.

"As enjoyable as that match was, I do have other combatants who wish to face me," Winter said as she tidied her hair which had gotten slightly tousled in the battle. "I believe that was my win. Miss Sakura, please exit the arena."

The medical personnel arrived and carried Kyouko off, fumbling a bit when sparks of electricity arced towards them when they approached.

Sayaka nodded her head solemnly. Winter would normally hold back during matches - most people didn't warrant the full use of her combat skill set. The fact that Kyouko forced her to bring out her summons and paralysis glyph was a testament to Kyouko's ability.

Sayaka also noted how Kyouko still had a lot of aura when she became paralyzed. It might be that the lancer had not been exposed to a lot electrical attacks and had not build up enough of a resistance to them yet.

The next few matches came and went with a decisive victory to Winter in every one of them. It was entertaining at the very least, but Sayaka was starting to get bored. She was just about to get up and leave when an unexpected challenger came up on stage.

"Homura Akemi," Winter said. "I know of your reputation. It is an honor."

Homura bowed slightly at this before taking a readied stance. She stepped her right foot back and raised her shielded left arm. Winter took a similar stance, holding her saber at the ready. The start timer began counting down.

Sayaka stared curiously. Where was Homura's bow? She recalled the woman being an archer. And what was this reputation Homura supposedly had?

The buzzer signaled the start of the match and was followed by silence. Neither Homura nor Winter moved. Tension rose among the audience as they awaited the first move.

Then there was a click. Suddenly, Homura disappeared and four explosions occurred in a square around Winter, shrouding the arena in smoke. There was the sound of several gunshots then a gust of wind from the center of the arena cleared the smoke. Dissatisfied murmurs started in the crowd when they saw the combatants.

Homura had pinned Winter down in an arm lock, holding a pistol to Winter's head. Winter's sword lay discarded several paces away. On the screen, Winter's aura levels which had been well above eighty percent were now less than fifty.

Somehow, Homura had won in less than ten seconds.

"I know when I've lost. I surrender, Homura Akemi. Please release me." Homura let go and Winter stood up. "Your reputation holds true. That battle was... informative... Thank you for agreeing to my request."

Sayaka blinked. Request?

Homura bowed once more and exited the arena. The next challenger approached but they no longer held Sayaka's interest. She quickly got up and made for the locker rooms.

"Is _everyone_ holding back when they fight me?"

Right before Sayaka turned the corner, she heard a voice that stopped her in her tracks. It was Kyouko's.

"You're not exactly equipped to deal with most of our higher level techniques. How do you feel?"

Sayaka went wide eyed. That was Homura's voice.

Kyouko chuckled. "Eh, still feeling a little jittery. Big shock, ya know? Anyway, your match - what was that all about? You were so fast, I could barely even see you drop those bombs. Wouldn't going that fast cause severe whiplash or something?"

"I have my ways..."

There was a pause in the conversation. Sayaka felt like it was time to move but hesitated. In her hesitation, conversation resumed again.

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you, there's a charity event this Saturday. Mami told me to invite you."

"Did she now? Why did she send _you_?"

"Because she knows you and me are close? I don't fuckin' know, man. She was being weirdly passive aggressive about it."

"Perhaps it's your punishment for fooling around with other girls behind her back?"

"Oh, shut it, you."

Sayaka nodded slowly and started to walk away. She was not about to butt into a private conversation - especially not one about _those_ topics. She could speak with Homura and Kyouko on a different day. She made her way back to the arena stands.

 ** _Early Evening, Atlas Hospital Ward..._**

At the end of the day, Sayaka returned to the Hospital Ward to pick Kyousuke up. She had arrived a little bit early and thus, had some time.

Before Kyousuke was officially released, Sayaka asked the doctor if she was allowed to do some light healing so that Kyousuke could walk out of the Hospital Ward unaided. The doctor agreed and said that he and some of his colleagues would stand by and observe the process.

Thus, Sayaka, Kyousuke, and three doctors and a nurse stood in the middle of the hospital room while Sayaka summoned a three-foot-wide glyph in front of her.

She addressed Kyousuke. "Alright. Get in and stamp your feet. You should be able get some feeling in them again."

Kyousuke did as told and shakily took a step into the circle of music notes. Once inside, he wobbled slightly before attempting to jog in place. After a moment of sluggishness, he was able to achieve a nice and steady pace with no signs of fatigue.

Kyousuke laughed nervously. "Feels a bit tingly."

"That means it's working. Can you walk now?"

"I think so...?"

They spent a few moments to confirm that Kyousuke no longer suffered from the soreness caused by his two months confined to a bed. In that time, Sayaka also answered a short batch of questions from the doctors. When all of that was finished, the two exited the Hospital Ward with smiles on their faces.

"Ah, feels good to be out of there!"

Sayaka grinned and hooked her arm over Kyousuke's shoulders. "Tell me about it. Do you have any idea how quiet the apartment is without you constantly playing?"

Kyousuke raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that I won't be playing again yet, right? My hand is still damaged."

"Yeah, but at least _you'll_ be there with us. That's already as good as you constantly playing."

Kyousuke smiled awkwardly at this. "I don't think that's how that works."

"Yeah. I don't really know what I was saying either." Sayaka laughed. "It's good to have you back, Kyousuke."

Kyousuke chuckled and returned the gesture in kind, throwing his own arm over Sayaka's shoulder. "Good to be back, Sayaka."

They walked like that for a moment before Sayaka separated. Upon doing so, she pulled out her scroll to check the time. She hummed in thought.

"Alright, we've got about an hour to kill before Hitomi gets off work. She says she wants the three of us to have dinner together tonight." She looked up to Kyousuke. "Wanna go anywhere in the meantime?"

Kyousuke crossed his arms, nodding slowly. "Hmm. Not particularly. I heard Winter sent out an open challenge today. That still going?"

Sayaka forced a smile. "Haha... yeah... about that..."

"What, is it over now?"

"Well, _yes_ , it's over but also..."

Sayako told him what she had been doing all day and Kyousuke burst out laughing. " _You challenged her to a duel?_ " he gasped as his shoulders continued to shake from laughter. "It's your day off and you decide to have an early sparring session with your sword master? What, were you trying to get extra credit?"

Sayaka pouted. "Hey, fighting her is fun. And I at least lasted longer than most of her other challengers."

Kyousuke kept laughing, needing to lean on a wall to keep from keeling over.

Sayaka groaned. "Fine, if you're gonna be that way, I'm just gonna go." With that, Sayaka bounded off the streets onto the second-story rooftop of the nearest building. Very quickly, she heard shouted apologies from Kyousuke who she suspected had not recovered enough to perform aura-augmented jumps yet.

She leaned over the ledge and smiled at him. She pulled out her scroll and speed-dialed his number. "You wanted to say something?" she said as soon as he picked up.

Kyousuke looked up at her with a wry smile, his scroll pressed against his ear. _"Was it really necessary to jump up a building?"_

"Was it necessary to laugh as hard as you did?" Sayaka replied cheekily.

Kyousuke kept smiling, though very clearly he was getting more distressed. _"I'm sorry, Sayaka."_

"Why don't you come up here so we can talk?"

 _"You know I can't,"_ he replied tiredly.

Sayaka giggled. "You can't?" She ended the call and pocketed her scroll. She then waved a hand and summoned a glyph at Kyousuke's feet which launched him upwards into Sayaka's arms. "You were saying?" she asked with a grin, bringing their faces close enough to touch noses.

The nervous smile never left Kyousuke's face. "Hilarious," he mumbled. "Why are you really doing this?"

"Call it a sudden bout of _mischief_." She pronounced that last word with an appropriately mischievous edge. Kyousuke squirmed in her grip. "And since you don't seem to know what you want, I figured I'd show you a good time."

A twinge of understanding twinkled in Kyousuke's eyes as he stared. He then chuckled. "Did you really miss me _that much_ , Sayaka?"

"Yes," Sayaka replied simply. "I had Hitomi, though. You were trapped in a hospital room. I figured you'd miss me more than I missed you."

Kyousuke turned away. From such a close distance, Sayaka could clearly see he was blushing "I won't say you're wrong," he muttered.

"Aww, you're cute when you're being honest." Sayaka then tossed Kyousuke up and caught him princess-carry style. "Let's go home for a bit of privacy. Shall we?"

Kyousuke's face grew redder. "I... I'd complain about the indignity of being in this position is but at this point I don't think I have much of a choice anymore."

Sayaka crouched down and tensed her legs. "Hey, you're the one just sitting there not struggling."

" _Touché_ "

Sayaka summoned a glyph under her feet and jumped, soaring across the city to their apartment.

 ** _A few years ago, Atlas Training Arena F..._**

The final wave had come. Sayaka could tell. Why else would she hear the tense and steady beep of a countdown timer?

In the previous wave, the barricade and ice wall had collapsed. The sudden influx of machines had taken them a long time to clean up. They had only the shortest of moments before howls from a distance pierced the air.

Things seemed to move in slow motion for team SShK as they knelt down in the middle of the hall backs against each other. In hushed whispers, they spoke, awaiting the mechanical beowolves to arrive.

"How's your ammo?" Sayaka asked both her teammates, hands on their shoulders.

"I'm all out," Hitomi said grimly. She produced two combat knives from her sleeves. "I'm competent at melee, though. We'll see how it goes. Kamijou?"

Kyousuke nodded. "I'm still good on dust. And I actually have a song that's perfect for this scenario. But yeah. We'll see how it goes."

"If you think it'll help, go for it," Sayaka muttered. She released a heavy breath. "I admit it. I'm running on fumes. Keeping you all wired and alert is taking its toll." She stood. "Worst comes to worst, sacrifice me first."

"Then we'd lose our best melee fighter," Hitomi said scoldingly, standing up as well. "Sacrificing you won't make our situation any easier."

Sayaka chuckled weakly. "It was a joke. Sorry if it was in bad taste."

"They're here." Kyousuke stood and pressed his violin against his chin. " _Decretum_ ," he whispered and he began to play.

The next five minutes passed by in a blur of clashing steel. The only thing she remembered with absolute clarity was the sound of a violin playing a melancholic tune. It gave strength to her limbs. It urged her to keep fighting.

The rest was lost on her.

When Sayaka next opened her eyes, a mechanical beowolf was looming over her, jaws open and ready to bite at her head. It didn't bite, however. It merely stood frozen in place like a statue.

Sayaka then noticed the buzzer sound, drowned out by the ringing in her ears at first but eventually became clearly audible.

She slowly dragged herself out from under the beowolf and sat up, surveying her surroundings. Hitomi was collapsed on the floor, eyes open and staring at the ceiling. Her chest rose and fell quickly and heavily. Kyousuke was sitting dazed in the corner, backed against the wall, his violin resting on his lap. Academy personnel were swarming around, dragging the mechanical grimm away. A woman in yellow stood nearby, fingers flicking over a large scroll - she had told them her name but Sayaka couldn't remember it.

"Team Shock, congratulations. You all passed with flying colors," the woman told them with a smile. "And congratulations, in particular, to Sayaka Miki because you are now team Shock's leader."

Sayaka nodded at this before letting herself fall back to the floor. A hitched breath escaped her lips. Then a laugh. Soon she was cackling. Hitomi and Kyousuke also laughed. They had passed initiation. She almost couldn't believe it.

They were later brought to the arena infirmary where they were given some peace and quiet to rest.

"We did it," Sayaka breathed from her bed. "We're on the road to becoming a team of huntsmen and huntresses."

"And they assigned _you_ the leader that team," Kyousuke said from the bed directly to Sayaka's left. He smirked. "I'm not gonna contest it. You were amazing, Miki."

Sayaka's lips curled up wryly. "Was I? It didn't feel like it."

"He's right," Hitomi said in agreement from her bed past Kyousuke's. "I've never seen someone take on that many Grimm at once before. Without you distracting them, I wouldn't have been able to kill as many of them as I did."

"I didn't even know what I was doing. I was running on autopilot. Without Kyousuke's music guiding me somehow, I wouldn't have been able to do it."

"And without you and Hitomi keeping them off me, I wouldn't have been playing," Kyousuke countered. "And before that, you were dashing up and down the stairs to in case we needed backup."

"Also, you were always using your semblance to make sure we were never tired," Hitomi added, "and you were also keeping our morale up, giving us words of reassurance and cracking jokes."

Sayaka sat up on her bed to look at them meaningfully. "You guys seem to be laying the compliments real thick. Seriously, it wasn't a big deal."

Hitomi smiled at her, also sitting up. "Whether you think it or not, you were a leader, Miki. You _are_ a leader. And as long as you keep being that way, I'll keep following you."

Kyousuke chuckled and sat up as well. "Same here."

Sayaka stared at them nodding slowly, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I... uh... Thanks. Glad to know you guys... trust me..."

Hitomi and Kyousuke looked at each other in panic.

"Um, Miki, you don't need to cry," Hitomi said nervously.

"Yeah, uh..." Kyousuke reached over and awkwardly patted Sayaka's head. "There, there... We're all friends here..." He turned to Hitomi and hissed, " _Shizuki, grab some tissues_."

Hitomi kept up a polite smile and searched her bedside drawer. "Oh dear, she started crying," she muttered.

" _I'm not crying!_ " Sayaka cried, tears flowing down her face.

 **End of Chapter**

 **This chapter (unlike previous chapters) is told solely from Sayaka's perspective. I took this as an opportunity to show her team's dynamic and further reinforce how attached she is to them. To that end, I show their dynamic in and out of combat, both as a team and as individuals in relation to Sayaka.**

 **I'm actually a little bit worried by how people are going to react to my portrayal of their personalities and their relationship with each other. They're just so different to what they were in the anime.**

 **Sayaka is more mellow, less of a jokester, and definitely has the confidence she was lacking in canon. Hitomi is less of a stick in the mud and is cheeky and sarcastic when the situation allows for it. Kyousuke is still obsessed with his violin and dense beyond hope but is willing to play along with Sayaka's (and Hitomi's) whims.**

 **All of that and the minor tweaks to their currently unwritten backstories make their dynamic so far removed from their canon dynamic. And that's not even getting into the bigger change ups I incorporated into the story.**

 **I'm gonna go out and say it: they're in a three-way romance. In-universe, they've been _together_ together for over two years. I was as subtle as a sledge hammer at hinting at it in this chapter and perhaps too subtle in previous chapters but here I am saying it outright.**

 **Yes, I did say that romance is not the primary focus of this story and it still isn't. It's not to say that romance will be completely gone from this story. Further clarification on what I mean will be at the end of this note.**

 **I have read a number of fan works that detail the different kinds of systems used by the academies for initiation. I focus mostly on Atlas' system because that's where this story takes place but the others are loosely based on many of those fanworks. I haven't actually reread those works in a long time so I can't name them but at least a few keywords in the brief exposition might pop out for some of my readers.**

 **I have vague yet vivid memories of playing zombie survival video games with my friends. Most of the details regarding the games are lost to time but the emotions I felt while playing are still clear in my mind. I still remember frantic scrambling from breach to breach, putting up barricades and shooting down all that enter in a futile attempt to keep the endless tide of zombies at bay. I remember the strategic planning and teamwork demanded of us to survive the later waves. It had been both hell and a hell of a time. These experiences were what inspired the Atlas initiation system in this story.**

 ** **I don't know when the next chapter will be released but it _will_ arrive. That I promise you. Until then.****

 _ **AND NOW FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE**_

 **I want to clarify some things about this fic.**

 **Firstly, the characters and settings borrowed from RWBY are not the same as they are in canon. The events of the show proper will never happen in the universe of this story, all places shown in this story aside from Beacon and Vale are products of myself as the writer, and any characters from canon that appear in this story will have a different backstory, if only slightly. The magical girls of Madoka Magica will never interact with team RWBY. The history and lore revealed in Volumes 4 and onward of RWBY will deliberately be ignored.**

 **Secondly, this story originally presented itself as a plot driven drama focusing on Homura's struggles and the tragedy that has and will befall her. Those who have read this story will know that this is not the main appeal. It is more of an exploration of life as a huntress for Homura and the people around her - kind of like a slice of life about someone who happens to fight monsters and deal with government conspiracies for a living. The summary description for this story has been updated to tell readers that fact.**

 **I beg of you all: Please do not read this story with misconceptions. I don't want to disappoint people.  
**


	11. A Day to Remember

**Last chapter was Sayaka's. This chapter is Kyouko's. Hope this doesn't seem too out of the blue. Enjoy if you can.**

* * *

 ** _Early morning, northeastern quadrant of Atlas City, nondescript apartment ..._**

* * *

Kyouko awoke that morning feeling a mind-numbing ache in her head as she sat up, no doubt a product of her time getting drunk at a party last night. She barely remembered it but she was sure it was fun. Her mind had not caught up with that fact, however, and was still wondering why she smelled lavender in her sheets. She didn't own lavender-scented anything.

She groggily sat up, the blanket sliding off her as she did so. A shiver ran through her as her bare skin was exposed to the cold. She looked around the similarly bare apartment room. Her eyes quickly zeroed in on the only bit of color in view: A mint green jacket neatly folded over, sitting on a chair next to the bed — along with her underwear, shirt, and pants.

It wasn't hard to figure out that she wasn't in her own apartment. Nor was it hard to figure out what had happened the previous night.

"I wonder who I slept with," she muttered to herself as she grabbed her clothes. "Only one way to find out, I guess."

With that, she threw on her underwear and jacket and made for the door.

As she stepped out, she was immediately assaulted by the mingling sounds and smells of sizzling meat and vegetables. "Good morning, Kyouko Sakura," a familiar voice called from the kitchen.

Kyouko nearly laughed like a stunned hysteria upon realizing who it was she had slept with. But she knew how early it was so she suppressed the urge, settling with a satisfied grin. She entered the kitchen and addressed the owner of the voice.

"Hom, you're gonna have to catch me up. What the fuck happened last night?"

"Must I say the obvious?" Homura asked from her place at the stove.

"Well, I know I somehow got you in bed with me," Kyouko replied with a smirk, leaning on the kitchen table. "Though, I don't think it was because of my good looks. It can't be _that_ obvious, right?"

Homura spared Kyouko a glance. "Perhaps you should take a look in the mirror. Your bed hair is atrocious." She returned her attention to her cooking. "And would it kill you to finish dressing up before leaving the bedroom?"

Kyouko merely laughed. "What? Don't like what you see?"

Homura did not reply.

Kyouko then eyed the three clear plastic containers filled with ground coffee, sugar, and creamer. "Hey, uh, can I make myself a cup?"

"Hmm?" Homura gave another cursory glance at Kyouko, catching what she was eyeing and immediately understanding. "Get a mug. The thermos is by the sink."

Kyouko grunted in acknowledgement and got to making herself some coffee. As she did so, she noticed the oddly cute pajamas that Homura was sporting. They were a black cotton button up shirt and matching pants, the shirt looking to be a comfortable one size too big. Kyouko found herself staring all too obviously at the way the shirt hung off of Homura's shoulders. The sight occupied her mind while she stirred of her drink.

 _Easy, there. You literally just woke up. Have a little self control,_ Kyouko thought hastily before sitting down and taking a sip of her drink.

"Good shit," she sighed in satisfaction. "Now where was I...?"

In a matter of a minute, she had already lost her train of thought. She had to pause for another minute to get back on track.

She snapped her fingers. "Oh right. What the fuck possessed you to sleep with me? I know I'm a smooth, charming, and charismatic drunk-"

"Debatable," Homura muttered questioningly at the word choice.

"But I don't think that was all it was. You just don't seem like the kinda person who'd just sleep with someone like that, you know?"

"Wrong assumptions have killed smarter huntresses, Kyouko," Homura said dryly as she shut off the stove. Shortly after, she set down a plate of stir fry chicken and vegetables as well as two bowls of rice on the table.

Kyouko raised her eyebrows at the Mistral-style breakfast but did not complain — especially when her bowl had noticeably more rice. Homura seemed to be full of surprises that morning. Kyouko picked up one of the spoons on the table and dug in with gusto. Homura took a seat and did the same.

Conversation paused for a moment while the two ate. In that time, Kyouko noted the faded kiss marks around the base of Homura's neck, right near the collarbone. Aura could heal such a mark within minutes and yet Homura chose not to do so. It was hard for Kyouko not to stare. It was quite distracting.

After Kyouko finished eating her food, she downed the remains of her coffee and looked at Homura seriously. "Okay, I'm gonna ask again, and you're going to give me a straight answer. Don't dodge the question. Why'd you agree to have sex with me last night?"

Homura returned the stare in dead silence as she continued to chew her food. After swallowing, she spoke. "I am human and I have needs, Kyouko. And last night, you were the one who satisfied one of them."

Kyouko blinked as she parsed those words. She then smiled wryly. "Was that a compliment?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to take it as one." Homura sighed and gently laid down her spoon over her bowl — still filled with rice, though only a few spoonfuls worth. "Why is this so surprising to you, Kyouko?" she asked tiredly.

"Because I don't remember a thing that happened, Hom! I was fucking wasted! How hard is that to understand?"

If Homura was taken aback by the outburst, it didn't show. "You would've remembered if you just used your aura to flush the alcohol out of your body."

"Man, you're a pain in the ass. Just spill the beans already! What. Is. The story?"

Homura sighed once more. "Might as well..."

* * *

 ** _The previous day, early morning, Atlas Training Arena B..._**

* * *

The room was filled with the sounds of gunfire and metal hitting metal as red and yellow blurs danced across the arena floor.

Kyouko slammed face first into the ground with her arm twisted behind her. She could feel the barrel of one of Mami's shotgun-batons pressed against the back of her head. "Dead again, Kyouko."

"Think so?" Kyouko grunted as she materialized a barrier on her back which shot upward, pushing Mami off.

No longer weighed down, Kyouko rolled over and jumped to her feet, once again taking a battle stance with her spear.

"A new technique," Mami noted. "Interesting."

"You'd be surprised how much you can do with a barrier semblance." Kyouko smirked. "Seriously, though, you wouldn't believe how long it took me to get it doing stuff like that."

Mami chuckled. "On the contrary, semblance development at our age is notoriously time consuming. It's quite impressive how quickly you're adapting your latticework barriers to counter my fighting style."

"Yeah," Kyouko said in agreement. " _Thanks!_ " She lunged forward to resume the battle.

The two clashed once more, Kyouko spinning her spear wildly as Mami danced around the attacks. With fluid motions, she'd swing her shotgun-batons to block and counterattack only to be blocked in return by a small barrier erected just as the trigger was pulled.

It was an intense exchange that lasted only five seconds before they broke apart. It took all of Kyouko's concentration to fight Mami to a standstill. She wasn't at a point yet where she could make use of her higher-density barriers without thinking.

Mami smiled. "I'm starting to think you might actually have a chance of beating me at full strength now given how well you're compensating for your inherent... disadvantages..."

Kyouko frowned. "Say what now? You're _still_ holding back?"

Mami raised an eyebrow. "Do you _want_ me to render you weaponless at the start of every engagement? Because if you want me to go all out, that's exactly what I'll do."

" _Uhhhg_. This whole hard-counter thing is really getting on my nerves."

"That's life, Kyouko. It's not fair."

"Oh, shut up."

With that, Kyouko lunged again.

The two of them continued their sparring session for another fifteen minutes, after which, they made for the locker room to shower and change.

"So, about that charity event next week," Kyouko began as she threw on her green jacket and closed her locker. "Why exactly are you giving _me_ Homura's invitation again?"

"Hmm." Mami hummed with a hint of annoyance — or at least Kyouko assumed it was annoyance. She began buttoning up her academy instructor's uniform. "I do believe that, between the two of us, _you_ are closer to Miss Akemi than I am. I'm sure she'd be more willing to come if you were the one who invited her."

"Okay, if you're still mad about the whole taking her out to dinner thing, it was a bet that I-"

"It's _fine_ , Kyouko," Mami cut her off with a dismissive wave. "If I didn't expect you to go after another woman, I'd be much more upset than I am now."

Kyouko stared blankly at the statement. "Wait, you expected me to... Mami, what...?"

Mami ignored Kyouko's confusion. "In any case, since it's Homura, I think it's fine. You've had this weird fascination with her since that bunker mission two months ago. And I will admit, I'm more than a little interested in her myself."

Kyouko's mouth was agape. "I... I don't know how to respond to that."

Mami closed her locker and patted both of Kyouko's cheeks. "Don't respond. Just give her the invitation and get her to come. Now, I have duties to attend to. I'll see you in a few hours."

With that, Mami walked out of the locker room, leaving Kyouko to awkwardly rub her face, watching Mami disappear from view.

* * *

 ** _Mid Morning, streets of Atlas City..._**

* * *

Kyouko exited a small bakery, one arm slinging a bag full of assorted pastries, the other holding a blueberry muffin that she had already bitten out of. It was a good muffin — light and fluffy, with just the right amount of sweetness to fill her mouth with flavor without overwhelming her.

"Good shit," she muttered with a satisfied sigh. She had stuffed the rest of the muffin in her mouth and swallowed. She then pulled out her scroll, noting the message that Mami had sent her.

Her good mood quickly soured.

 _[From: Mami Tomoe_ _  
Subject: Volunteer Class Instruction_

 _This is a reminder that you have volunteered to assist in the practical instruction of Atlas Academy students regarding "Aura Projection, Channeling, and Manipulation". Please be at Training Arena C at 11:00 today._

 _Your cooperation will be appreciated.]_

Kyouko snorted. The message was concise, professional, and absolutely humorless. If there was ever a side of Mami that Kyouko hated, this was one of them — the no-nonsense, stick-up-ass, military side of her.

Kyouko sighed and dug into her bag of pastries, specifically looking for another muffin.

When she had volunteered to help, she didn't expect it to be so formal. Something like a short talk and demonstration was one thing. Actually drilling kids and forcing them to develop their techniques? No. That just wasn't her thing. She had tried being a combat instructor at Shade before. Things had not gone well. She wasn't about to try again.

She bit into another muffin — pumpkin, this time. "Just what do they expect me to teach them?" she muttered to herself. "I'm not even all that good at working with my own aura."

Kyouko chewed thoughtfully, walking as she did so. She didn't really have a destination in mind.

 _Everyone_ had aura manipulation. Everyone had an instinctive, if basic, knowledge of how to use it. Projecting it outward like shield; using it to accelerate healing; channeling it through weapons and body parts for augmented attacks — All of these techniques didn't really need to be _taught_ to people.

Could they be improved and diversified with practice and experimentation? Yes. Absolutely. Self-compliment aside, Kyouko herself was a excellent example of that.

But they still were not _taught_.

What then was there left for Kyouko to teach? Other than going all drill-sergeant on those kids, there wasn't much Kyouko could help with.

With a shake of her head, Kyouko continued wandering, still chewing both her food and her thoughts.

* * *

 ** _Noon, Atlas Training Arena C..._**

* * *

Kyouko found that her job wasn't really to teach people at all. "Assisting the instruction of students" apparently meant beating the shit out of them which Kyouko was absolutely fine with.

What made it better was the fact that a number of them also used chain weapons like her spear. Her current opponent was one such student, an armored knight girl wielding an axe attached to a length of chain. It was able to shoot bursts of low caliber bullets.

The way that the knight manipulated her weapon was also quite similar to the way Kyouko used her chain spear. Aura was clearly being channelled through the chains, forcing them to move and react in specific ways.

With a smirk, Kyouko coiled her spear around her opponent's axe, tangling the chains into a chaotic mess. She then wrestled the weapons out of both their arms and slammed her palm onto the knight girl's breastplate. The blow was not only aura-augmented but also sent out a large pulse of that very same aura out of her hand upon impact to further increase its power.

The knight girl stumbled back a few steps before collapsing to the floor, her metal plate armor vibrating violently. Kyouko nearly laughed at this.

There was a sigh from one of the instructors who pulled out his scroll and muttered, "Can we get another stretcher? Sakura knocked out a student... Yes, again..."

Kyouko chuckled and turned to the students sitting on the bleachers. They fidgeted as her eyes passed over them. Kyouko had to suppress a smile of mirth. They were so nervous. So cute.

"Can anyone tell me what she did wrong?" Kyouko asked them casually. None of them responded.

She gave the instructor a raised eyebrow. "Really? You didn't think to tell them?" The instructor sighed again and shook his head. Kyouko shrugged. "Basic stuff, man. You better be paying me a bonus for this or something."

The instructor took a deep breath and started typing something on his scroll.

Kyouko returned her attention to the students. "Look, guys, I know this class is about aura and stuff but you gotta be smart about this." She gestured to the unconscious student. "Knight girl over here was wasting aura to make her armor tougher. The hit I gave her was stronger than her armor could take so her aura kicked in. It kicked in too hard, drained her too fast, and now she's down and out.

"If you're gonna be wearing armor, you might as well _use it_ as armor. Sure, maybe a heavy blow'll dent it or a sharp stabby-thing'll pierce through it but that doesn't matter. The armor isn't your main form of defense. Your _aura_ is. The armor's just a second layer. The armor's only there so you don't lose as much aura when you get hit. If you waste aura to make your _armor_ tougher, you're kinda missing the point."

The medical staff arrived with the stretcher to carry the knight off. Kyouko watched the unconscious knight exit the arena.

"But don't get me wrong," Kyouko added. "Most armor would completely crumple like cardboard from the blow I gave her. I probably would've knocked her out anyways." She then tilted her head. "Though now that I think about it, she really should've just dodged. I wasn't moving _that_ fast."

Murmurs started up among the students once more as they began to discuss what Kyouko just told them. She turned to the instructor who gestured for her to keep going.

"Anyway, next match!"

* * *

 ** _Later..._**

* * *

After the session, Kyouko took a quick shower to wash of the sweat she had barely broken. She had already taken one that morning but she felt better taking another one after something strenuous — even something marginally strenuous like beating up children.

"They aren't _children_ , Kyouko," Mami called out from the benches.

"Yes they are," Kyouko called back.

"All of them are legally adults. You already know this."

Kyouko shut off the shower head and leaned her head out of the cubicle. She shot Mami a smirk. "They could be less than five years younger than me and they'd _still_ be children."

Mami smiled thinly. "By that logic, you probably have a thing for kids. After all, isn't Miss Akemi younger than you?"

Kyouko's smirk immediately turned into a frown. "Oh shut up," she grumbled, exiting the cubicle. She grabbed a towel from a nearby basket and and started drying her hair. "You know it's not like that between me and Hom."

Mami made a teasing hum. "Not like _what_ , exactly?" she asked in mock innocence. "Not like _us_?"

Kyouko rolled her eyes and headed to her locker. "We're just _friends_ , Mami. Nothing more."

Mami giggled. "That most _definitely_ sounds like us, though."

Kyouko groaned. "Can't you just cut it out already?" She crumpled up the towel and threw it at Mami's head. The yellow target easily leaned sideways to dodge the cloth projectile.

"The fuck is the issue, Mami? Are you just jealous?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous," Mami said, leaning further until she was laying on her she on the bench, head propped up with her arm. "But that's not really it."

Kyouko's frown deepened as she began putting on some clothes. "What is it, then?"

"You know, at first, I thought you only insisted I was just your friend because you wanted to maintain my reputation. It certainly made sense. Generally, workplace romances aren't looked highly upon. But hearing you talk just now, that's probably not the case. You're like that with everyone you seduce, aren't you?"

Mami paused to allow Kyouko to respond. Kyouko remained silent. She only punctuated said silence by zipping up her pants, after which, she began putting on her top. Obviously Mami wasn't getting an answer.

Mami sighed. "Actually, no. You're like that with everyone, period. Other than me, the only other person you talk to is Homura and you're the same with her. You don't let _anyone_ get close. It's kind of disappointing."

Now fully clothed, Kyouko slung her jacket and bag over her shoulder and shut her locker with a metallic click. "The fuck's up with this psycho-analysis bullshit, Mami?"

She then sensed Mami throw something which Kyouko caught easily. It was a scroll. Kyouko turned and eyed Mami curiously.

Mami was once again sitting up, straight backed and straight faced. "Read it," she said.

Kyouko did so, nodding slowly and she swiped through the text.

It was a message from one of Mami's superiors received just a few hours prior. It was an order to confront Kyouko regarding certain concerning behaviors observed by Atlas military psychologists. She was to convince Kyouko to submit to a session of counselling.

Kyouko glared at the screen before tossing the scroll back to Mami. "Why?"

Mami once again smiled thinly as she put away the scroll. "Why _what_? Why someone needed to talk to you about this? Why that someone needed to be me? The answers to those were in the message but if you skipped past them, I could explain."

Kyouko crossed her arms and leaned against her locker. "Why _now_ of all times? Couldn't this wait til' later?"

Mami closed her eyes. "Mmm. It probably could have waited but my orders were to bring it up as soon as it was convenient." She opened one eye and gestured around to the empty locker room. "We're alone and I have an hour-long break. I'd wager this is a very convenient time."

Kyouko stared flatly. "Not it's not."

"Nothing in my orders said it had to be convenient for _you_."

Kyouko rolled her eyes once more and shrugged. "Fuck this. I'm out." She made for the door.

"Even if you leave, this won't be the last time I bring this up," Mami called, not moving from her place on the bench. "The next time you and I are alone together, I'm obligated to bring this topic up again. And if you start avoiding me because of this, they'll decide to send someone else. Make this easier on yourself and comply."

"Why should I?"

"They're not gonna try and fix you. They just want to know the cause and how it's going to affect you. It's for your sake and, by extension, for the sake of everyone else you work with. Please, Kyouko."

Kyouko stopped at the door, holding her stride with only one foot across threshold. Mami had made a convincing argument but that still didn't make up for the fact that it was still a pain in the ass.

"Who... will be able to see my profile...?"

"Just the people who have clearance. With very few exceptions, only your designated psychologist should have that."

Kyouko tilted her head slightly."Exceptions like you?"

Mami chuckled. "Never had access to it in the first place. All of that was just a huntress' intuition."

Kyouko pursed her lips. She believed her... And she couldn't really believe that she believed her...

"A week... Give me a week..."

Mami didn't reply but Kyouko heard the distinct tapping of keys on a scroll. Kyouko didn't bother looking back and continued out of the locker room.

That definitely put a damper on her day. Hopefully, her fight with Winter would cheer her up a bit...

* * *

 ** _Late Afternoon, hallways outside of Atlas Training Arena A..._**

* * *

Kyouko tapped her foot impatiently as she and Homura waited for Sayaka's steps to fade into the distance. Hilariously, Sayaka had actually been trying to be stealthy as she walked away. Kyouko felt her aura signature in the stands since she exited the arena. If she were trying to be sneaky, she shouldn't have been casually letting her aura just leak out of her.

"So... why exactly were we waiting for Miki to leave?" Kyouko muttered, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall.

Homura did not face Kyouko when she replied, still watching the corner Sayaka had been hiding behind. "Let's just say I had a feeling about what she wanted to talk about and I was unwilling to talk about it."

Kyouko chuckled. "Well, what's new? You've got that aloof and mysterious image to keep up. Probably more convenient to just prevent her from asking you in the first place than dodge the question and be the pain in the ass you always are."

Homura scowled at that last comment but did not voice her own.

Kyouko shot her fanged grin. "Lemme guess. She wanted to know about Winter _requesting_ you spar with her."

"What else?"

This reply caused Kyouko to cackle. "My god, Hom. Keep that up and _everyone's_ gonna be lining up to fight you."

Homura pursed her lips. "I'd _really_ rather not imagine so," she muttered, seeming to tremble with annoyance at the very thought. She then ran a hand through her hair and began walking away, no doubt towards the exit. "In any case what was this about a charity event?"

Kyouko blinked, realizing how far they had gotten off track. "Oh, yeah... That..." She quickly moved to follow, matching Homura's pace.

"Mami got contacted a few days ago by some sorta corporation. It had the word 'health' in the name I think...?"

"Remnant Health Organization?"

"Yeah. That's the one." Kyouko raised an eyebrow. "How the fuck did you guess that with just one word?"

Homura snorted, rolling her eyes. "Does it matter?"

Kyouko shrugged. "Guess not," she muttered. "They're doing some sort of kick-off party for a charity fundraiser event they're doing here in Atlas. Wanted huntsmen and huntresses to attend — at least one from each of the kingdoms. Obviously I'm going to rep Vacuou. You're first pick to rep Vale."

"And Mistral?"

Kyouko gave Homura a look. "Do I look like I'd know?"

Homura returned the look stoically, opting to ignore the question.

They quickly arrived at the lobby, tapping their IDs against the door scanner on their way out. There wasn't much of a crowd to elbow through since most of them were still at the stands watching the rest of the matches. They were easily able to exit the building.

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend. I'm rather busy this week," Homura said, pulling out her scroll to check something.

Kyouko peeked over Homura's shoulder to see and saw an almost completely filled schedule on her calendar app.

"What do you even _do_ that you're so busy?" Kyouko mumbled, eyebrow raised curiously.

Homura quickly put away her scroll and eyed Kyouko with annoyance. Kyouko even heard a faint but aggressive growl from the stoic.

Kyouko quickly stepped back, hands raised in surrender. "Hey, don't blame me for asking. You hang out with me for a few hours and drop off the fucking map for the rest of the day. Obviously you're not avoiding me but..." she scratched her head, not sure how to continue her train of thought.

Homura regarded Kyouko's question for a moment before turning away, answering, "I work." She began walking away.

Once again, Kyouko moved to follow. "Work? _Work?_ Look, Hom, if you're constantly doing missions, I think you need to get a hobby."

Homura turned just enough to shoot Kyouko a brief glare. She did not stop walking.

Kyouko fished a packet of gum from her jacket, popping a strip in her mouth. "You need to lighten up." She began chewing. "Just saying."

Homura growled once again but was significantly less aggressive — more suggesting a tired annoyance than anything else. She sighed, seeming to give up. "I work part-time for Atlas Research and Development. When I'm not on a mission, I'm usually helping scientists in a lab."

"Ohhhh, science-y stuff. That's different, I guess." Kyouko shrugged. She casually jumped onto a wall and had been walking along its edge. "They building a time machine or something?"

"Or something," Homura replied flatly. "How did you even come up with 'Time Machine'? That's absurd. And get off that, will you?"

"You got time powers, right?" Kyouko asked, both arms lazily flapping in her jacket pockets, ignoring that last scolding remark. "Not that much of a stretch to think they're making a time machine."

Homura let a her expression turn to a wary look of surprise. Kyouko noticed this and quickly guessed what Homura was surprised about.

"Were you trying to keep your semblance a secret?"

Homura stared ever stoically before returning her gaze forward. "It was never a secret. I'm just surprised you figured it out. Everyone always assumes it's a speed semblance."

Kyouko chewed thoughtfully before dropping back down to the sidewalk. They had reached an intersection.

"Not gonna lie, when I saw you fight earlier, nothing you did made sense for a speed semblance. Instant acceleration? No sense of momentum? Fuck, you even unloaded two pistol magazines into Winter in half a second without jamming the thing. Speed semblances _don't do that_."

Homura tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for traffic to abate. "So your first guess was _time dilation_?"

"What? It _makes sense_ , doesn't it?"

Homura sighed once more. "Well, I suppose you're not wrong. Consider me impressed."

Kyouko managed a smirk. "Hey, I've got the right kind of smarts to be a huntress. I'm pretty quick on the draw."

Homura snorted. "Have I ever alluded to otherwise?"

Kyouko blinked, staring blankly for a moment before her smirk returned. "Was that a compliment?"

"No," Homura replied immediately, lacking in as much tone as she lacked amusement in her expression. "But I'm sure you'll take it as one."

The the pedestrian traffic light had turned green and they crossed the intersection. Or at least they crossed halfway before Homura stopped in the middle of the street.

"Kyouko, what is this about?"

"Huh? What are you-"

Kyouko felt a burst of aura from Homura who jumped to the second story rooftop of a nearby building.

"Homura, what the fuck?" Kyouko quickly tailed her, channeling aura into her legs for an augmented jump as well.

Immediately after her boots hit the concrete of the roof, Homura addressed her.

"You've followed me around the city, wasted twelve minutes and twenty one seconds of my time with meandering conversation, and you've been releasing aura like you're about to fight me since we left the arena. There is a problem. What is it?"

Kyouko instinctively took a step back, mouth slightly agape. "Uh...?"

"You didn't used to hound me to this degree, Kyouko. There is a problem."

Kyouko's mind raced in an attempt to determine what Homura was talking about. Yes, everything that Homura said was true. Kyouko had been walking with Homura. They were talking for a pretty long time — longer than they usually do, at least. She was also releasing a lot of aura which, admittedly, _did_ make it seem like she wanted to fight. She did not. She was still recovering from her match with Winter and her aura was working double time to repair the damage to her nerves caused by Winter's paralysis glyph. She didn't want to fight, at least not at the moment.

But aside from that last one, why would any of it be a problem? Kyouko just wanted to spend time with Homura. Was that too much to ask?

"I don't _have_ time, Kyouko."

The two shared a look.

"I swear, if you make a pun about my time powers-"

Kyouko took another step back, quickly waving her hands in dismissal. "No no, I won't, geeze!"

"What is the problem, Kyouko? Are you having a rough spot with your relationship with Major Tomoe? Jumping to a different ship to avoid dealing with it?"

"Hey, now. I told you we're just friends-"

"I'm not wasting my time with this," Homura snapped, turning away. "Whatever your issues are, deal with them on your own. Don't drag me into them."

Homura began the motions of another augmented jump. Kyouko lunged forward to grab Homura's arm before she could do so.

"Wait wait wait."

" _What is it,_ Kyouko?"

"Can we talk...? I know you said to keep you out of it but... I think I need help with this..."

Homura looked back and stared, face cold and uncaring, no doubt analyzing what Kyouko's motives were. And yet, Kyouko could see in her stormy purple eyes that she was also conflicted.

"I'm not the right person for this, Kyouko." Homura's expression softened as she turned away. "But I'm free seven tonight. I'll be at Central Plaza south, same place as last time."

Kyouko blinked. "I... uh... yeah... Guess it's a date..."

Homura regarded the wording for a moment but did not comment.

"Please let me go."

Kyouko quickly released her. "Right."

Homura wordlessly jumped away.

Now alone on the roof, Kyouko kick feebly at ground as she watched Homura shrink into the distance. "I called it a _date_." She sighed and shook her head, palming her face. "What the fuck is wrong with me...?"

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 **This chapter was mostly set up for next chapter, to be told from Homura's perspective.**

 **So, this chapter's focused mostly on Kyouko. I've made it a point to show what her relationship is with the relevant characters and this is the chapter where I start shaking them up.**

 **Firstly, Mami.** **  
I made no effort to hide Kyouko and Mami's relationship. I did not, however, go into detail. I won't spoil anything but Kyouko's not exactly in the healthiest of relationships with Mami. More on that in a future chapter.**

 **Now, regarding Homura.** **  
I've always painted Kyouko's relationship with Homura in this story as odd yet friendly. There's never been the feeling that they were professional with each other, mostly due to Kyouko's casual lack of professionalism, but they always kept each other at arms'-length — always close, but not too close. Between the bonding moments the two had shared over the past few chapters and the events of the date that was set up this chapter, the distance between them had shrunk to the point where Homura felt close enough to Kyouko that they'd sleep with each other.**

 **Homura acting less guarded around Kyouko is actually a result of Kyouko taking her out to dinner. It's something I kinda wanted to show off more before this but there have been limited opportunities for me to do so between chapter 8 and this one (chapter 9 was Homura's first Big Reveal™ and chapter 10 was the Sayaka chapter.) Oh well. I'll have plenty of opportunities to better show off their new dynamic next chapter.**

 **Some other stray thoughts:**

 **Mami's mischievous side was really fun to write. I believe she can be extremely petty and childish when it suits her and she's absolutely adorable when she does. I should write her being a little shit more often.**

 **It was also really fun writing about Kyouko making life hell for the instructors and students at Atlas. I don't know what it is about these characters teaching kids to fight that's so endearing to me. Kyouko's done it. Mami does it. Winter does it. Hell, even Homura did it in the flashbacks with Madoka.**

 **Thank you to PUM (Asianpotter1) and Zaulte (FalseAlarm00) for doing a second and third pass for grammar and spelling.**

 **I'll end this note here. I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	12. A Night to Forget

**Well, this took longer than it needed to. Check the end notes for more details. Anyway, new Homura chapter. It gets a pretty emotional and brushes against the M rating at points so please be prepared.**

 **Enjoy if you can.**

* * *

 _ **Late morning, Atlas Hospital Ward...**_

* * *

Homura pursed her lips as she made her way through halls of the hospital terminal ward, feeling mildly vexed. She had felt a familiar aura signature approaching—a signature that gave a cool and fluid impression. Sure enough, when she had turned around, she saw one Sayaka Miki, staring at her with increasingly curious eyes. It was a breath of relief when the fencer eventually walked away. Homura was worried what sort of questions she'd end up getting if Miki had approached. She was thankful that it didn't come to that.

"You're slipping," Homura grumbled to the boy with white hair walking beside her. "She noticed us."

"She noticed _you_ ," Kyubey replied nonchalantly. "You should be well aware that my semblance does not function optimally when used on more than one recipient."

Homura rolled her eyes. The notion that he was slipping was more to spite him than anything.

Kyubey's semblance was a perception mask that compelled people not to notice his target, usually himself. Officially, it hadn't even been a week since he discovered it. In actuality, he had been unconsciously using it for at least two months. Everyone from the Aura Mod Division, including Homura, had been aware of it to some degree.

Given how naturally he had been using it for so long, his understanding of its mechanics must have been instinctive on some level. Homura's understanding of her own power over space and time had been instinctive as well. She recalled a time in her early teens when she accidentally increased the effective capacity of a small glass of water to over a gallon. That had only been a few months after her aura was unlocked.

Madoka was like that as well, now that she thought about it…

"It could also be that she is aura-sensitive," Kyubey added helpfully. "Active use of my semblance as I am doing right now is bound to leave a trace."

Homura did not immediately reply.

She thought the idea had merit. It would explain why she could sense Kyubey even when he had his semblance active. His aura signature was unique, unsettling, and impressionable—quite easy to pick up on.

"As likely as any other explanation," Homura eventually said.

With that, the conversation dropped. No further words were exchanged until they reached their destination.

"Nagisa Momoe," Homura said, looking through the glass viewport of the vacuum-sealed room before her. The little girl with white hair was still on the bed, hooked up to life support, as she had been when Homura last visited. She was still marked for death. "You said it would be some months before her turn came."

"Complications have arisen. Her time table of months has shrunk to mere hours. If we do not put her in stasis soon, she _will_ die."

Homura gave Kyubey a sharp look. "What _complications_?"

Kyubey stared up at Homura, still smiling. "You don't know about her condition, do you?"

Homura bit her lip. Kyubey spoke with none of the urgency that was expected of the situation.

He turned to Nagisa. "We don't fully understand it either. She's afflicted with a disease of some sort that causes her cells to decay at a rate far quicker than normal. Her body's attempt to repair the damage is taking its toll—and even then, it can only do so much."

Homura bit her lip harder. "Her body is starting to give up," she said through grit teeth.

"That's a close guess but it's not quite on the mark. You see, they unlocked her aura as a stop-gap measure. It had delayed things for a time but it very quickly became clear that it was a mistake in the long-term. She's worse now than she would've been had they done nothing."

Homura joined Kyubey in watching Nagisa through the viewport. She then closed her eyes and concentrated, quickly searching for the wellspring of aura within Nagisa's body. A drop of dread fell into the pit of her stomach when she felt it.

"It was risky, unlocking her aura like that," Kyubey said. "The accelerated healing naturally brought on by an unlocked aura counteracted her cell decay, yes, but her aura reserves are not infinite. I'm sure you can sense the current state of her soul. I imagine it's quite unpleasant."

The pool of energy was all but empty, with only a smidgen of aura seeping in from the ether before immediately being consumed to fuel Nagisa's healing factor. Her soul could not regenerate aura at a rate fast enough to sustain her.

Homura stepped back numbly, pressing a hand against her chest. Her fingers traced a line down where her surgical scar would be under her blouse. Even after over fifteen years—after her aura had saved her from the worst effects of her surgery and past affliction—she still felt a tingle whenever she touched it.

It was always a gamble, unlocking the aura of sickly children. The lucky ones, like Homura, would grow up to become no less healthy than any normal person. The unlucky ones, however...

The unlucky ones would be just like Nagisa Momoe. For a time, they'd suffer less due to accelerated healing. When their aura reserves started running dry, they would suffer the effects of aura exhaustion as their body and soul tried in vain to re-establish equilibrium. The body would sacrifice its own energy for the soul to convert into aura in much the same way the body would sacrifice fat and muscle cells to convert into carbohydrates. Those unlucky few would effectively be cannibalizing themselves and could do nothing to stop it.

In other words, Nagisa Momoe was basically doomed.

Homura turned to Kyubey. "How long until we're clear?"

"We will be cleared to begin stasis operation momentarily. We are merely awaiting an associate from the Hospital Ward to arrive. For the now, we may set up the transport pod here in the hallway."

Homura grunted and pulled out a large suitcase from Tempest Hourglass, setting it onto the floor. With a click, the suitcase began unfolding into a stasis pod scaled to the size of Nagisa Momoe. Once the pod was fully deployed, Kyubey nodded at its console screen with his mask of a smile and began the boot up process. It would take a few minutes, at least.

Even after two months, Homura still found it strange. Her time dilation and ability to distort space were being used in medical procedures— _experimental_ medical procedures, granted, but medical nonetheless. If she had been told a decade ago that she'd be doing what she was currently doing, she wouldn't have believed it. Madoka was the healer. Homura was not. She was a weapon. The most dangerous weapon in Vale. One that could kill in an instant without ever being seen.

Homura tapped her fingers on the back of her hand. A pained smile tugged on her lips.

Things weren't all that different, though—Vale was simply swapped for Atlas. She was still operating in secrecy. She was still a weapon. She was still a tool for killing.

That wasn't all it amounted to anymore, though. She was helping as well. Healing.

Healing like Madoka…

"It is done," Kyubey said, stepping away from the stasis pod. "The pod is now ready to accept its payload. Now, we wait."

Homura took a deep breath and leaned against the wall opposite the room's viewport.

 _"Will it ever end…?"_

Seconds ticked on…

* * *

 _ **Many years ago, forest of Forever Fall…**_

* * *

Homura and Madoka's first mission outside the walls had been a simple one. They, and a handful of other teams, were to kill every creature of Grimm within a given sector of forest. Once one sector was clear, they'd move on to the next. The process would repeat until they cleared the entire coastline of Grimm—at least until more of them spawned.

They had also been assigned a huntsman to bail them out if the situation became too dangerous. The huntsman hadn't intervened much. He mostly just drank alcohol and barked orders. He was a little unpleasant, if Homura would be honest.

"Kaname, I need eyes in the sky," the huntsman ordered after they dispatched a pack of beowolves.

From the trees, Madoka took to the air and began surveying the area for concentrations of Grimm. "This area looks clear!" she announced from above. "Though I see a huge flock of nevermores swarming around a patch of forest a mile and a half north west of here!"

"Probably another clearing team! Ignore it!" the huntsman called dismissively. "Unless you want to crash their party! Go ahead and try! See how that works out for you…! Well!?"

Homura felt a rush of emotion through her mental link with Madoka. Madoka was flustered. "I…! Uh…!"

Homura resisted the urge to tell the huntsman off and called out to Madoka, trying to exude as much calm through their connection as she could. "What do you see along the river!?"

"Oh!? I…! I see an alpha beowolf eyeing me from the treeline! It hid as soon as it saw that I noticed it! Quarter-mile down the river!"

"That's in the next sector," the huntsman muttered. He started walking. "Akemi, Kaname! Let's go!"

As Homura followed the huntsman through the trees, she checked to see if all her weapons were loaded. Where there was an alpha, a pack was almost guaranteed to follow. Another fight was coming. It would be awkward if she still had an empty magazine loaded when it began.

Madoka dropped to the ground behind them and ran to catch up. "How are we doing this?" she asked as she approached. "Same as before?"

"Same as before," the huntsman replied. "Do I still need to say you need to scram? Now git!"

Madoka pouted and once again took off, disappearing into the canopy of reds and violets.

Visibility in the forest was limited and Madoka was ill equipped to deal with enemies at close range. Sure, she could still hit things with Rose Rain but a composite bow wasn't exactly an ideal blunt instrument. She was forced to keep to the trees and give supporting fire. Thankfully, her arrows coated in gravity-dust bore holes into Grimm skulls just as effectively as bullets.

"Buckshots and hollow points, Akemi. Gun down the small-fry as quickly as possible. You can do that much, right?"

Homura cocked her shotgun in response. "Understood sir." She then pursed her lips.

Buckshots were shotgun cartridges with large, dense pellets. They had a lower spread and better stopping power, more easily able to punch holes through the armor plating of older grimm.

Hollow points were bullets that expand as they pierced through material, essentially exploding inside of a target. They caused devastating injury to anything without armor—and still dealt good damage to anything _with_.

Her supply of both types of ammunition were vast but she was still wary of making use of them. They were not cheap. Maintaining her arsenal was expensive enough already without the added costs of a second type of ammo she needed to keep stocked. She needed a good reason to make use of them. Mowing down lesser Grimm ranked low on her list of good reasons.

Still, orders were orders.

"Grimm, on our right!" Madoka announced from the trees. "Open fire!"

Homura slung her shotgun over her shoulder and switched to her assault rifle, firing a spray into the forest. Distant pained howls reached her ears as the pack came into view.

Homura then crouched down and started firing bursts of hollow-points at the unarmored parts of the beowolves' arms and thighs. The short stream of rounds literally tore holes into their flesh, severing the muscles needed for them to run. The ones in the front toppled to the ground. The rest of the pack trampled over them only to be shot, toppled, and trampled on themselves. Madoka finished them off with a clean arrow to the neck, just under the armored skulls on their heads.

Homura reloaded and switched back to her shotgun, eyeing the trees warily. "That was too easy," she muttered. "There has to be more."

In the back of her mind, she felt Madoka nod in agreement. _"I don't see any more beowolves, but…"_

"Stop standing around, ladies. If the alpha wants to lay low, it'll stay low. If it attacks, we kill it. Now, get moving."

Homura had no rebuttal. The huntsman was correct. Alpha behavior couldn't be controlled. They just had to adapt to whatever it threw at them.

Madoka once again took to the skies and surveyed the area. Homura held her shotgun raised, ready to pull the trigger on anything that moved.

They pressed onward, waiting for an ambush.

* * *

 _ **Late Afternoon, Homura's Apartment...**_

* * *

Homura eased into her bed, feeling a tired numbness overcome her. Her day had been a spent wound-up from a constant gnaw of worry at the back of her mind. It was not ideal, considering what she was forced to do that day.

The portable stasis pod had not worked as intended and Homura had to manually maintain stasis on Nagisa Momoe as she was transported to the labs. It had taken its toll on Homura, both emotionally and physically.

One they arrived, the scientists got to work on getting Nagisa stable. At the moment, they were still analyzing her status to determine how long before they could perform the soul transfer. They had given no exact date—just that it would have to be soon. Homura wasn't sure how long Nagisa would last, even with stasis. She hoped _'soon'_ wasn't too long a wait.

Later that afternoon, she fulfilled her obligation to Winter Schnee—a little sparring match.

The fact that she had to fight someone after her earlier exertions was unfortunate. Neither her state of mind nor her aura reserves were optimal for battle, especially battle with a huntress as powerful as Winter. Even more unfortunate was the fact that she had agreed to said sparring match nearly two weeks in advance. She was perfectly willing to agree to a battle and not show up for it, disrespectful as it may be. However, doing so when the person she'd be fighting was Atlas' second in command was, likely, a terrible idea.

Thus, she fought and won, making use of her time dilation once again to stack the odds so heavily in her favor that she won in less than ten seconds. Winter was left humbled, the crowd was left disappointed, and Homura was left feeling like she had run a marathon she didn't want to run—not that she allowed her exhaustion to show.

It was so tiring. She wanted nothing more than to sleep and let exhaustion take her. Already she felt her consciousness slipping.

It hurt. Everything hurt. From her aching limbs caused by aura exhaustion to her aching head caused by mental exhaustion. It hurt and she wanted it to stop.

She rolled to her side and curled up, cradling her hand against chest. She closed her eyes slowly. Sleep found her soon after.

 _There was a sea of red in all directions, so vivid that it made her eyes bleed._

 _"NO!"_

 _A vile mass of blackness churned with the crunch of meat and bone._

 _"Madoka, get up! I can't keep them off you forever!"_

 _Gunshots and howls resounded. Her mind was blank with pain and panic._

 _"MADOKA!"_

Homura gasped as she jolted awake. A shiver ran down her spine, reminding her that she was in the present once again. She blinked away her daze and rolled to her back.

From what she could tell, only an hour at most had passed. Had it been more, her room would be bathed in the blue of twilight instead of the orange of sunset.

Ever since discovering her semblance, flashbacks and flashforwards had been ever present interruptions to her deserved periods of rest. Sometimes they lasted for hours. Other times, less than a second. Even after all these years, she still didn't know how to cope with them.

"And they've only gotten worse," Homura mumbled to herself, rubbing the tears from her eyes and cheeks.

"Homura Akemi?"

Homura shot upright and glared across the room, to the shadow imposed on her curtains. "Why are you here?"

Kyubey was sitting on the railing of her balcony, his small frame backlit by the setting sun. "I was in the area and noticed familiar aura flares from the direction of your apartment," he said with his usual casual cadence. "I was curious to see how you were doing. Evidently, you were in distress."

Homura's eyes narrowed on the boy. _Curious,_ he said. "I doubt curiosity is enough to get you to leave the labs. What are you getting at?"

The boy tilted his head slightly. "Your physical and emotional wellbeing is vital to this project." His body swayed playfully, like a blade of grass in the wind. "We cannot afford to lose your abilities."

Homura was torn between cynical amusement and genuine endearment towards Kyubey's show of concern. She refused to allow her conflicting feelings show, however, and kept her face hard. _Of course_ his concern would be tied to her involvement in the project. Why else would he ever ask?

"There are no problems, Kyubey. Please leave."

As the sun continued to set, the shadow across curtains grew darker, making the red glow of his eyes even more prominent.

"I'll keep that self-assessment in mind. Please remain healthy, Homura Akemi. Both physically and mentally. For the good of the project."

With that, his shadow sunk into the shadow of the balcony, disappearing from view and presence fading slowly. The last thing Homura saw before he was gone was his eyes, staring ever widely. The sun had fully set by the time his presence faded fully.

Homura shook her head and sunk back into the folds of her bed. She was tired. She wanted to go back to sleep, nightmares be damned. The softness of her pillow was already beckoning her back to restless slumber.

Minutes passed. With just ticking of her clock and the distant sound of traffic from the streets outside, her ears were left ringing.

"I'm forgetting something," she muttered to herself as she realized that sleep was not coming to her.

After a moment's contemplation, she remembered. The realization was sudden but it did nothing more than make her want to curl up into an even tighter ball.

"I still have to meet Kyouko tonight…"

Homura again sighed with tired resignation.

"Of course there's more today…"

She was so caught up in the madness and tragedy of Nagisa Momoe that she forgot about another obligation she had walked into that afternoon—an obligation to one Kyouko Sakura.

What had Kyouko called it? A date? Really, it was more of a counseling session about Kyouko's hang ups—as if Homura didn't have enough hang ups of her own.

"I should never have agreed."

Once again, Homura got out of bed and began combing her closet for another outfit to change into. She felt a strange obligation to pick an outfit that'd look good—one that Kyouko hadn't seen her wear before. She didn't know why she bothered, though. Kyouko would simply wear the same pants, shirt, and hoodie she always wore. Homura could do the same. Appearances were not important to the wild red huntress.

A tiny voice in the back of Homura's mind pointed out that Kyouko was still quick to compliment appearances, however.

Not that it was relevant. It wasn't even really a date. It was a farce. Kyouko would find a way to make it entertaining anyway, though. That was the only reason Homura was going at all.

"I suppose I can afford to indulge Kyouko's whims for another night," she muttered. "And given what's happened today, I suppose I deserve a night of entertainment." She continued appraising her clothes.

* * *

 _ **Many years ago, forest of Forever Fall…**_

* * *

What made alpha beowolves so dangerous, aside from their size, was their above average intelligence. Normal beowolves were nothing more than mindless killing machines that attacked any human in view. An alpha had the capacity for tactics, planning, and even communication. Taking one down often required its pack to be wiped out just to even deal damage to it—and even then, it might retreat to another pack that's in close proximity. They were wily creatures, not to be underestimated.

Yet, somehow, Homura still did exactly that…

Homura wholly expected the ambush that was awaiting them as they delved deeper into the forest. She wholly expected to be in immediate threat of death the moment they were attacked. She wholly expected to need to use her time powers for the chance of a safe escape. She did _not_ expect a pair of ursae and three alphas to come at them at the same time from different directions.

The grimm came so quickly that Homura barely had enough time to process what was going on. By pure reflex, she had channeled her aura into Tempest Hourglass, plunging her world into bright desaturation. Only then did she realize the extent of how terrible their situation was.

They had followed rocky shore of the river until they hit a bend where the waters were quite wide but looked shallow enough to wade through. Hiding behind particularly large boulder to the north was one ursa major which had casually picked the boulder up and chucked it in their direction. From the treeline on their side of the river came two of the alpha beowolves and a huge pack of lessers, lunging out of the red brush like cannonballs with teeth and claws. From the deceptively deep waters of the river emerged the third alpha and second ursa major, significantly bigger and more armored than the others. All of them were upon the huntsman and huntresses in an instant.

Homura's mind raced, eyes darting around at time-accelerated speeds to mark her targets and note any openings. Due to their connection, Madoka had been time-dilated as well, analyzing the situation as Homura was. The huntsman had not been not affected by the time-dilation but that didn't stop him from reacting faster than Homura and Madoka. Already, he was unfolding his poleaxe to chop down at the boulder hurtling towards them.

They were both keenly aware of each other's presence in their minds, their heightened emotional states strengthening their connection to the point where they completely in sync—as if they shared a single consciousness. They both immediately knew what the other was thinking and found that the idea they had was actually quite sound.

Homura and Madoka shared a smile and stepped directly behind the huntsman as he cut the boulder clean down the middle. The two halves flew past them, slamming into the grimm one either side that were milliseconds away from mauling them. Alphas and Majors were smart, but that didn't mean they could make fool-proof plans.

With the halves of the boulder having cleared them some space and bought them some time, the two began their counter attack—Homura, emptying her magazines of buckshots and hollow points; Madoka, emptying her quiver of concussive arrows. When it looked like the time they bought was nearly over, Madoka took hold of Homura by the waist and shot to the sky, both with a powerful flap of her wings and an aura augmented jump.

They surveyed their battlefield with calculating calm. Their actions had thinned the grimm's numbers significantly. Unfortunately, the alphas and majors just refused to die. Homura had earlier shot the larger of the ursae with three buckshots to an exposed patch of neck and it continued fighting. Nothing they did was working.

"He's down there alone," Madoka said, her consciousness receding from Homura's slightly.

The huntsman was currently engaging the ursa that threw the boulder with several lesser beowolves trying to swarm him. The wolves seemed more annoying to him than actually threatening as they were easily dispatched, all while he was dodging the ursa's attacks.

"He's alone and he's winning," Homura noted, pulling out three grenades from Tempest Hourglass. "Don't worry about him. Keep circling." She threw the grenades into the churning mass of black that threw rocks at them back. Three explosions later, much fewer rocks were being thrown at them.

Homura frowned as she struggled to pull more grenades from her shield while Madoka flew. "This could probably be more efficient. See any good ledges?"

"Yeah. Gimme some bombs."

Madoka dived to the nearest cliff and deposited Homura neatly on the highest part of it. Without even stopping her momentum, she kicked off and began tossing grenades into the battle as she flew by.

As Madoka did this, Homura revealed from her shield a new, unwieldy, and exuberantly expensive addition to her arsenal. It was an anti-material rifle that was as large and heavy as Homura herself. She braced it's bi-pod onto the cliffside and began shooting at the ursa she had tried very hard and failed to kill earlier. It took all five shots she could afford to supply herself with but, eventually, Homura managed to damage the ursa major's skull enough that the last round pierced straight to the brain.

The beast fell. With it, a large swath of the pack scattered.

Homura put her large rifle back into her shield and replaced it with her standard bolt-action sniper rifle and began picking off the stragglers.

* * *

 _ **Mid-evening, Outskirts of Atlas City…**_

* * *

Homura sat across the table from Kyouko. She had a glass of lemonade mixed with a shot of gin she had been nursing for several minutes now. She had no desire to drink it.

Kyouko seemed upset by this. "C'mon, Hom, you're makin' me feel bad. You got a glass but I'm the only one drinking. Like… you don't need to drink as much as me. Just… lighten up, ya know?"

Homura rolled her eyes and took a sip from her glass.

Kyouko frowned at this gesture and stared guiltily at what had to be her fifth glass of whiskey that night. "If this silent treatment's because you're a lightweight, you coulda' gotten water."

Homura said nothing and kept drinking slowly.

She was, indeed a lightweight—she wasn't very tall nor all that heavy and hadn't been exposed enough alcohol to have built up a resistance. She still didn't get drunk easily, though. Short of drinking pure alcohol, her healing factor flushed her body of the substance faster than she could drink it. It was a bit of an anomaly, even among those with unlocked aura. No doubt, she could drink Kyouko under the table if she wanted to.

Kyouko never needed to learn about that, though. Let the wild red huntress from Vacuo have her assumptions.

Homura set her glass down and crossed her arms onto the table. "I'm waiting for you to speak. You called me here to vent, yes?"

Kyouko leered from behind her whiskey as she downed what remained of it. The moment her lips parted from the rim of her glass, she immediately ordered a sixth serving.

"Aight, we both know this isn't an actual date but you could at least _pretend_ ," Kyouko grumbled. "Seriously. The whole point we're in this bar in the first place is so I can relax. You're kinda ruining it."

The ghost of a smile flashed upon Homura's face as Kyouko's sixth order of whiskey arrived at their table. She once again took a sip of her mixed drink.

Kyouko narrowed her eyes and tipped her sixth glass accusingly at Homura. "I get the distinct feeling that you're fucking with me right now."

Homura gave a small but sharp smile. "You can say that."

Kyouko shook her head. "Remember when I said I missed this sarcastic and teasing side of you? I take it back. I take it all back. This side of you's terrible."

As Kyouko threw her head back and drank, Homura suppressed a chuckle.

A voice in her head earlier had told her she'd enjoy herself. It had been right. She _was_ enjoying herself. She _did_ need this.

"In case you haven't realized yet, I _am_ treating this like an actual date," Homura said, swirling the mouthful of liquid still in her glass. "Take what you can get, Kyouko. Remember, _you're_ the one who asked me out."

Kyouko averted her eyes, pulling her drink closer to her chest. Her face seemed to flush even more. "You must not get laid much if this is how you treat your dates."

Homura didn't did not dignify this with a response, instead drinking what remained of her glass.

Kyouko's face was flush and eyes droopy. It was very likely that she was already drunk—though, the fact that she was even halfway coherent was impressive.

Homura still needed her to start talking, though. That meant more alcohol.

"A glass of what she's having," Homura said to the nearest waitress.

Kyouko raised an eyebrow, slowly bringing up her own glass to her face. "What are you planning?"

Homura flashed a sardonic smile. "You wanted me to drink? Fine. I'll drink. I'll even match your pace. Just remember: you're the one paying."

Kyouko stared in confusion for a moment before cackling wildly. "Fucking hell, Hom. Way to make me regret egging you on. You're gonna kill my wallet tonight."

Homura's glass arrived and they both tapped them together in cheers.

* * *

 _ **Later…**_

* * *

It was a few minutes before midnight when Homura finally left for home. Unfortunately, she exited the bar carrying a Kyouko Sakura who was so inebriated that she couldn't walk even _with_ assistance. Homura could feel both the heat of Kyouko's skin and the intensity of her aura as body and soul purged the alcohol from her system. Kyouko would be down for at least the rest of the night.

Homura grimaced.

She knew quite well what kind of person Kyouko was when sober. Being drunk only exacerbated her more extreme traits. By the time that she had enough alcohol to loosen her lips and finally talk about her problems, she had already picked a fight with the largest most threatening individuals in the bar.

A brawl had ensued as these situations always devolved into. It started with insults and challenges to arm wrestling. Fifteen minutes later, tempers were lost and the first punch was thrown. A minute after that, someone drew their weapon and everything devolved into absolute chaos—a literal storm of projectiles and dust flying wildly about the room.

Thankfully, Homura and a handful of sober patrons had quickly led all the aura-locked civilians to the nearest exit before the worst of the fight broke. There was no one injured—just rattled.

Also impressive was that there was no property damage to speak of. The bar catered huntsmen and huntresses regularly so it was quite well-equipped to deal with bouts between aura-users. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all soundproofed, extremely well insulated, and reinforced to the point where they were nigh bulletproof. From the outside, the bar showed no indication that there was an ongoing fight.

By the time Homura re-entered the bar to drag Kyouko out, everyone was passed out on the floor with nary a scratch on any of them. Kyouko was lying prone on top of the pile, seemingly in pain—likely caused by a stomachache rather than any injury during the fight.

"As the designated sober person, I'm supposed to bring you home," Homura muttered to the half-conscious girl in her arms. "You realize I don't even know where you live, right?"

Kyouko groaned and batted Homura's face feebly with her hands—like a newborn might when picked up and jostled.

Homura rolled her eyes. "Right. I'll see what I can do…"

* * *

 _ **Many years ago, forest of Forever Fall…**_

* * *

Homura felt a satisfied smile tug at her lips as she began picking off the grimm that were retreating. Between her sniping and Madoka's fly-bys, the pack was both small enough and injured enough now that they were barely a threat. With both ursae killed by the huntsman and Homura respectively, the only particularly dangerous grimm remaining were the three alphas. They were still alive despite the multiple high-caliber rounds, explosives, and deep poleaxe cuts they'd been subjected to. Just a few more minutes of fighting and they should have the sector clear.

Homura's feeling of satisfaction did not last, however. A sudden pain erupted from her shoulder.

Madoka quickly relayed information to Homura, using impressions and ideas rather than words but still easily interpreted. A rock had hit Madoka's wing and caused her to crashland in the middle of the chaos.

Homura grit her teeth and aimed her sights at where Madoka's body lay helpless on the ground, violently getting mobbed by Grim like a ragdoll.

Madoka's aura shields were close to shattering. She'd be vulnerable until she regenerated enough aura to bring them back. Homura would need to cover her until she could fight again.

Homura felt the shield give way to teeth and claws.

 _NO!_

Homura activated her time dilation and blasted the heads off six lesser beowolves who sought to kill Madoka while she was down.

 _Come ON, Madoka! Get up! I can't keep them off you forever!_

Homura felt a chill down her spine when Madoka stirred, a reply echoing in her mind.

"I'm doing my best, here, Homura. Ten more seconds."

 _Ten seconds… Right…_

Homura let her wry amusement and relief bleed through their connection at the annoyed and impatient response Madoka had given. Her aura would replenish soon. They just needed to hold on for ten seconds.

 _Nine…_

With time dilated, ten seconds took nigh an eternity—but if time wasn't dilated, Homura wouldn't have been able to see the grimm gearing up for an attack on Madoka.

 _Eight…_

She shot them all with sniper precision, taking down a beowolf every time she pulled the trigger, making sure to cripple the ones she didn't have a clear enough shot to kill with one bullet.

 _Seven…_

She just had to keep shooting. The grimm were attracted to pain and fear, both of which Madoka was currently feeling strongly. She had to keep shooting to keep Madoka alive.

 _Six…_

Just keep shooting. Just keep shooting. Just keep shoot—

 _Five…_

The three alphas had converged to attack Madoka, shrugging off every bullet Homura shot. She panickedly emptied her magazine into the beasts and was still not able to slay them even then.

 _Four…_

Homura fumbled as she tried to reload. That sealed their fate. Madoka was doomed. Homura couldn't save her.

 _Three…_

In that moment, Homura was gripped with a primal terror and screamed.

 _"MADOKA!_ "

There was a blurry flash of steel. Suddenly the huntsman was upon the beowolves, decapitating all three in one strike, his weapon smoking.

There was a moment of stillness as both Homura and Madoka watched, utterly surprised by the turn of events. Eventually, Homura's grip on her rifle loosened. She released a manic laugh and cried tears of joy.

 _Madoka was safe!_

Her vision blurred and the world spun.

 _Madoka… was… safe…!_

Her thoughts slipped away, just as her consciousness did.

* * *

 _ **Past midnight, Homura's apartment…**_

* * *

Homura slowly lowered Kyouko onto her bed.

The journey home was somewhat boring. Kyouko, for the most part, had been relatively passive. Of course, she still moved more than an actually unconscious person would have. If it were otherwise, Homura would have flown them instead calling a taxi. As it was, Kyouko was too unruly to carry while flying and public transport had already ended operations for the night. A taxi was really their only option. Thus, Homura rode a taxi to her apartment, babysitting an incoherent mess of a huntress for the entire ride.

"Hom… you fucking _traitor_ ," Kyouko rasped as Homura tucked her to bed. "You left me to fight on my own there… How could you…? I thought we were supposed to fight together…?"

Homura stared at the look of betrayal on Kyouko's face, finding it strangely amusing. She was unsure if she wanted to respond with deadpan snark. After a moment's contemplation, she decided that not responding at all was the best course of action.

Instead, she placed a hand on Kyouko's brow. "Get some rest, Kyouko," she said gently. "I'm transferring some aura to you. I hope this helps."

She reached into her aura reserves and began siphoning some into Kyouko to hasten her recovery. There was a bit of resistance at first. Kyouko's shield had sprung up to block the foreign energy attempting to enter. However, the shield soon relented and allowed Homura inside. The transfer finally began unhindered.

 _"Hey…"_

Homura raised an eyebrow at Kyouko whose half-lidded gaze masked a strange twinkle in her eyes. She reached for Homura's other hand, laid idly on the side of the bed.

 _"Don't… Don't go… I don't want you to go…"_

Homura's entire arm suddenly seized up for an instant when Kyouko touched her, as if a jolt of electricity had pierced straight through her gloves upon contact. She was left with a warm tingling sensation as Kyouko squeezed her hand.

"If we're gonna fight… we're gonna fight together… right…?"

Homura glanced to her arm with concern but very quickly realized what had happened—and what was going to happen if she answered Kyouko. The gem in her glove was already flaring up. There was nothing she could do to stop it. Homura closed eyes and smiled wryly.

 _"Until the very end."_

Another sigh of resignation escaped Homura's lips as she opened her eyes and whispered. "Yes, Kyouko… We fight together."

Immediately, memories flooded into Homura's mind. Kyouko's life was laid bare before her in the blink of an eye. In that instant, she felt thirty years of thoughts and emotions flow through her, leaving her with a sense of longing that she could not fathom.

Homura gasped when the flashback ended. She had half a mind to immediately just cut their connection. Kyouko's mental state was influencing her, leaving her, not quite drunk, but dazed.

"Whoa," Kyouko breathed, similarly dazed, though looking significantly more sober than she was earlier. "Homura, the fuck was that…?"

Homura's mouth twitched as Kyouko's mind brushed against hers. A shiver ran up her spine. She had an immediate urge to pull Kyouko into an sobbing embrace. She felt a level of intimacy she hadn't felt in years. Even the multiple transfers she had performed was nothing compared to feeling what Kyouko felt as they stared into each other's eyes. It was all at once comforting and terrifying.

"This feels weird," Kyouko mumbled, sitting up. She looked to Homura in confusion. "I can tell you're happy… even though you look sadder than I've ever seen you…"

Homura nodded, her face slowly becoming as flushed and numb as Kyouko's. Her mind, too, became fuzzy and incoherent. She was feeling what Kyouko was feeling. She was connected to her.

Her vision blurred as tears welled in her eyes.

Kyouko put a hand on Homura's cheek, delicately wiping the tears. "I don't really get it, but… I think you need this…"

Homura nodded again, not trusting herself to speak. Her feelings spoke well enough for themselves.

Kyouko leaned forward placing her other hand on Homura's face. "She thinks you need this too, huh…?"

Homura nodded once more. She opened her mouth and only a suppressed whimper came out.

Kyouko gave her a kind yet foolish grin and leaned further forward, planting a kiss on Homura's lips. As she pulled away, amusement surged through their connection. "Does this technically count as a threesome?"

Homura allowed herself a small smile before leaning forward herself, pushing Kyouko back onto the bed.

Kyouko may have been sober enough to think, but she was still very much drunk. Based on the way Kyouko's aura was flaring erratically, she was as much drunk on power as she was drunk on alcohol. Once the high of their initial connection subsided, Kyouko would likely fall unconscious and remember nothing of that night.

They kissed once more, Homura running a hand through Kyouko's hair as Kyouko rolled them both over, leaving Kyouko atop Homura.

Homura realized that she too would likely forget much of what was happening. The moment she cut their connection, the thoughts and emotions they shared would start fading—like a half forgotten dream.

But until the night was over, they would spend it in each other's arms, filling their longing with the passion of their hearts and souls.

Kyouko began stripping. Homura did the same. When the gloves came off, a gem fell onto Homura's bare stomach. It glowed warmly at them, radiating aura at an alarming rate. They felt vague sense of encouragement ease into their minds.

 _They were connected…_

Kyouko placed a hand on Homura's chest, fingers tracing a line down her surgical scar, ending on the gem lying atop Homura's skin. They gave her goosebumps.

 _They were together…_

Another tear that fell down Homura cheek as Kyouko leaned over, a curtain of hair surrounding their nearing faces. Eyes of scarlet glowed tenderly at her.

 _They should cherish the moment while it lasted…_

 _"I'm sorry,"_ Homura muttered.

"Don't be. You want this. I want this. Even _she_ wants this. Just let it happen."

Kyouko kissed her again.

The night continued and so did they.

* * *

 _ **Many years ago, forest of Forever Fall…**_

* * *

By sunset on the first day of their mission, they had cleared four sectors—one near the northern walls of Vale, the rest stretching towards the coast, following the river. The huntsman assigned to them said they'd continue in the morning so they made camp on a high cliff overlooking said river.

Madoka was actually quite pleased with how the camp turned out. The cliff had an overhang, under which she flew and drove stakes into the cliff face. She then tied a multi-person hammock to said stakes. Homura used her semblance to make more space inside the hammock and produced a blanket, thermos, and foldable table from Tempest Hourglass. Within ten minutes of reaching their camp site, the two had set up and were snug and cozy under their covers, drinking tea and eating pastries.

"You think he's jealous that we're this comfy?" Madoka wondered as she let the tea in her cup cool. "Like, he's gonna to sleep in some tree while we're gonna sleep here."

Homura nodded limply and sipped her own cup. "I suppose…"

Madoka nudged Homura's shoulder, pouting. "He saved me, Homura. I'm fine."

"You shouldn't have needed saving. I should've… should've…"

Madoka poked Homura's cheek. "We're students. He's a professional."

Homura downed what remaining tea was in her cup in one gulp. She then slammed said cup onto the foldable table. "We almost _died_ , Madoka. We need to get stronger. Faster. Smarter. We can't just keep doing what we're doing. I can't—"

" _Hey_."

Homura immediately stilled as Madoka's voice resounded in her mind, coming as much from within as from without. Thoughts and emotions sprung into her consciousness in a slow trickle, tinged with the signature of Madoka's soul. It was… calming…

Madoka took Homura's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "You don't have to be this scared," she whispered gently. "I'm scared too—I know you can feel it—but that's fine. We're in training. We've _been_ training. There's only so much progress we can make in a short amount of time. A near-death experience or two won't change that."

Homura nodded quietly.

"If anything, we can at least learn something from this experience. Look at the huntsman assigned to us. Whatever he can do, that's what we've been training for—what we'll become in a few years time."

Homura averted her eyes and relented. "Yeah… I suppose he's impressive in that regard. He killed three alphas in one swing…"

Madoka smiled gently and set her cup onto the table. "We'll be good enough to do that someday. We'll be good enough to do a lot of things. Kill Grimm. Fight bad guys. Help people. Some day." She leaned back into the hammock to stare at the rocky overhang that served as their ceiling. "That day probably won't be tomorrow but it'll be soon…"

Homura nodded once more. "Well… We still have a few years at Beacon. By the time we're done, we'll probably be around that level."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." Homura join Madoka in lying down. "But… You know partnerships and teams don't last that long after you leave for the academy, right? Huntsmen and Huntresses have to be distributed evenly across the continents to help wherever necessary."

Madoka rolled over to face Homura. The seeming uncertainty in her eyes were all but confirmed by the feelings entering Homura's awareness.

"I know," Madoka mumbled.

Homura shifted her weight, putting a hand on Madoka's. "I don't want to leave you," she mumbled back.

"I don't wanna leave you either. And… I don't want you to leave me… But…"

Homura's lips quivered as a sad smile found itself on her face. Madoka's feelings were overwhelming, threatening to completely overshadow Homura's own. It was difficult to find the emotional resolve to tip them back into equilibrium but she did.

"I've been thinking about this for a while, actually," Homura admitted. "We could specialize. Get ourselves positions in and around Vale so we can still be close to each other…"

Madoka's uncertainty seemed to lessen at that. There was a spark of hope. "Would that really work?"

Homura averted her eyes and tilted her head slightly. "Honestly, I'm not sure. If you spend a few months training to be a healer, you could probably apply for search and rescue. You semblance is even ideal for it."

Madoka squeezed Homura's hand. "It's worth a shot," she said, the heavy emotions lifting from Homura. "And you could apply to be a teacher," she then said with a chuckle.

Homura smiled wryly, shaking her head. "Please try to be serious about this, Madoka."

"You don't think I'm being serious? You taught me hand-to-hand. I think you're a _great_ teacher!"

" _Tutor_ ," Homura corrected. "Or mentor or whatever. I'll accept those. But _teacher_?" She shook her head. "I'm not good with groups and I'm not good at keeping an agreeable pace."

Madoka pouted. "I thought your pace was plenty agreeable."

"You pick things up quickly. That, and you're a natural." Homura chuckled when Madoka hummed, unconvinced. "You didn't even know the basics of unarmed combat and you disarmed and pinned me by pure instinct. You're a natural born fighter. You should be proud."

Madoka's unconvinced hum became an annoyed one. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Um… uh… Yes…? I get the distinct feeling that you didn't take it as one…"

Madoka pushed herself up and threw her weight to the side, falling atop Homura's chest. It knocked the wind out of her.

 _"Oof—!"_

"Sarcasm isn't very nice, Homura."

Homura made the token effort of getting Madoka off her but nothing became of it. She let her arms fall limp onto Madoka's back in a tired sort of hug.

"Alright, I guess I deserved that," she rasped, out of breath. "I'll try to sound more genuine next time…"

Madoka was silent for a while. The rise and fall of her chest and the beating of her heart was the only thing Homura was aware of for that time. That, and the feeling of Madoka's breath against her neck.

"Why not a teacher…?" Madoka eventually asked.

Homura patted Madoka's back and the girl in pink shifted to roll them both to the side. Homura took a moment to catch her breath. "Teaching," she then said. "You have to have a sort of passion for teaching—a passion for imparting knowledge. I… I don't have that kind of passion…"

Madoka shifted back and gave a meaningful look. "Then what _do_ you have…?"

"I… well… I have powers over time and space," Homura muttered. "That gives me some leeway. I can think of a few things that could work. Dealing with internal threats, for one—like terrorists and crime networks. I figured that's still something huntresses do, right?"

"So… what, like a spy?"

Homura nodded. "Yes."

Madoka chuckled again, trying hard not to burst out laughing. "You really want your future job to be cool, huh?"

Homura coughed into her hand innocently. Their connection made it nearly impossible to hide things from each other. That being said, the amusement Madoka currently felt was bleeding into Homura through said connection. Homura found herself smiling as well.

"Don't you think it fits?"

"I think it's perfect," Madoka said, eyes twinkling. "We'll be partners, fighting death, terror, and the creatures of darkness and despair."

Homura's smile widened despite herself. "It'd be definitely be cool," she relented.

"And romantic." Madoka drew closer, whispering gently, "That'll be our future. We fight together. Until the very end. I can feel it."

Homura did not have the heart to voice her worries about the future but hearing Madoka speak those words gave Homura resolve. They'd be together. Madoka could feel it. Homura felt it too. A few near-death experiences wouldn't change that.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 **So, there went another four-ish months. There's a number of reasons for the delay.**

 **Firstly, it took awhile for my update cycle to get to this story. I'm working on, like,** _ **seven**_ **concurrently updating fics? My creativity and time is split between all of those. It's madness, I know, but I can't help myself.**

 **I also got a new job. This chapter was supposed to come out in August but adjusting to a new work schedule has been difficult for me. Even three months into said job, I'm still having trouble managing my time.**

 **But anyway, here we are with my second longest chapter so far. Did you enjoy it? Because I enjoyed writing it.**

 **It's been a relatively long time since I wrote from Homura's perspective. It was a little difficult for me to immerse the prose with her analytical personality without making it too wordy. A lot of scenes went through over five revisions before I was even remotely happy with them. Two scenes had to be consolidated into one, for example. Even now, I think I could have have made some scenes more concise. Ah, well, doesn't matter now that it's out.**

 **The hospital scene about Nagisa pulls triple duty, being together a point of relatability for Homura, a gentle reminder that she's doing her job for Madoka's sake, and an excuse for me to explain the mechanics of aura exhaustion. It feels like a super weak first scene, though, not gonna lie. The emotional weight isn't heavy enough for my liking.**

 **The first apartment scene is the aforementioned consolidated scene—set after Homura's fight with Winter and conversation with Kyouko. The two originally-planned scenes presented the same message so I simply inserted the important bits of one into the other. Homura's tired and has had a shitty day. She should be allowed to relax. But of course, she still has things to do. Again, I coulda written it to have more impact but it works for what it is. Taken in tandem with one of the flashback scenes, I think it can stand pretty well.**

 **The bar scenes are just me indulging in my desires for interesting character interactions. Again, it serves multiple purposes: explaining an aura mechanic, giving trivia about the setting, reinforcing Homura's character and her dynamic with Kyouko, and delivering on (I hope) amusing dialogue. It was my personal favorite scenes to write.**

 **Now for the flashbacks.**

 **This is the first chapter I've written that has a higher flashback word count than present day. It's for good reason, though. I introduced the concept of soul-linking three chapters ago but it hasn't really been important to the story. Homura doesn't have anyone to soul-link with (until now), so flashbacks are the only way I can show it off. Hopefully this was enough to quell people's curiosities, assuming you guys were curious about it at all.**

 **Additionally, I've been musing on the notion that interpretations about Homura where Madoka isn't her focus just makes her** _ **not Homura**_ **. This fic kinda plays with that idea. On one hand, the ways Homura approaches problems and the fundamental way she thinks is just part of her character. Her past-self's personality is crafted in a way that's plausibly comparable to her present-self's personality—just less cynical. On the other hand, her backstory is one wherein her interaction with Madoka is vital to how she progresses from awkward analytical prodigy to infamous Angel of Death. I'm not really sure whether I consider this matter good or bad. All I know is that Madoka is important to Homura in this story.**

 **And finally, there's the fade-to-black-before-sex scene. It's actually one of the first things I wrote for this chapter. Nothing much to it. Just Homura in a moment of sudden and unexpected vulnerability, nudged along by a helpful little friend to allow** _ **another**_ **friend to help in her stead. I tried to make it as much about Kyouko genuinely wanting to comfort Homura and Homura genuinely trusting Kyouko to comfort her. Given the fact that they're soul-linked during the latter part of the scene, it's pretty much impossible for them to not be genuine. I think there's something heartwarming about it. Not my favorite scene in this story—not even favorite for this chapter—but I think I did well with it.**

 **Welp, this author's note is already long but there's still one more thing I want to say.**

 **Thank you to PUM (asianpotter1), Zaulte (FalseAlarm00), and Anonymous for the help with editing this chapter. You've all been a huge help with getting this chapter out.**

 **Thank you as well, reader. I hope you enjoyed. Until the next chapter!**


End file.
